Rescue
by gar-a-ash
Summary: Kakuzu is attacked by a bear, and the only one there to help him is a strange girl who lives like an animal. Hidan is nowhere to be found, and Kakuzu finds himself having to depend on this strange girl, who has no knowledge of how to talk.
1. Chapter 1

The girl paused, as did her dog. What was that noise up ahead? She and the dog crept forward slowly, peering around the bushes that blocked their view. They both relaxed. It was just a bear. A creature to be feared, yes, but not as much trouble as one would think. However, it seemed to be rolling something around, something that seemed to be fighting back.

The girl realized with a start that it was a man. The bear was attacking a human being. Said human was fighting back weakly, so the girl knew he didn't have much time left.

She considered what she knew about bears. She didn't see them too often on her walks, and the ones she saw were cowardly black bears, not an aggressive brown bear like this one.

The man cried out for help, and the girl made up her mind. She picked up a thick branch as a makeshift club, signaling to her dog to distract the bear. He ran forward, barking, and the bear looked up from its attack. The dog barked in circles around it, and when its back was turned the girl ran forward and smashed the branch across the bear's snout, snapping it in half.

The bear roared in pain and stood up, towering over the small girl. She quivered, but stood her ground. She knew that if she ran the bear would kill her. The bear roared again, trying to frighten her off. The girl snarled back, making the bear drop down in surprise. It studied her for a brief moment, then slowly turned and shambled off, leaving her and its intended prey.

She made sure it was really leaving, then ran forward to inspect the man. He was wearing a torn mask and a red and black coat. His body was covered in stitches, and when she tried to feel for a heartbeat she felt three. She looked at him oddly, then tried dragging him with her. She barely moved him.

She looked down thoughtfully. She didn't want to move her camp right now, but she couldn't drag the man all the way to her camp. She sighed. She'd have to bring her camp here.

She signaled to her dog to stay and protect the man, then turned and began walking the way she had come. She walked three miles quickly, then went through her camp, picking up what was needed and leaving what wasn't. She wrapped her supplies in a blanket she had stolen from one of the houses, then left without looking back. She left no trace of her existence behind her, nothing to show there had ever been a person there.

She walked back to the man, curious if he was still alive. He stirred, and she barked in delight. Maybe she wouldn't have to be alone now!

She walked over and took the first-aid kit she had also stolen from a house. She didn't like the noisy ones much, but they had useful things she could steal sometimes. She bent over the man, and began cleaning his wounds. He remained unconscious, and the girl was glad. She didn't want him to feel the pain that his body was going through now as she tugged the blue thread through his skin and muscle. Her own ragged scars showed how she had gotten her practice at this technique, and the smooth ones showed how she had improved.

The man started moving when she finished, and when he opened his eyes she couldn't help but stare. His eyes, where they should have been white, were red. His irises were green, and no pupil shattered their center. When she realized she was staring, she ducked her head in apology and skittered away. She signaled him to stay still, then turned to begin building her camp.

She dragged branches over to a pile, near a short cliff. She expertly leaned the branches against each other, quickly making a small, water-proof lean-to. The man's gravelly voice barked something at her, but she couldn't understand it. She turned and whined a single low note, impatiently apologizing. She needed to finish the shelter before dark.

Her dog, lying beside the man to keep him warm, suddenly alerted, warning the girl of something. She turned and watched him carefully. He breathed the 'prey' warning, and pointed his snout near the bushes. She settled into a crouch, ears straining to hear the animal her dog had heard. The bush rustled slightly, and a rabbit poked its nose out.

The girl sprang forward, snarling. Her hands knocked the rabbit to the ground, pinning it, and her teeth bit out its throat before its scream lasted more than a heartbeat. As the rabbit died, she was already lifting her head to listen. Had any predators heard, and were they coming to steal her prey?

Nothing but silence answered her ears, and her dog put its head down, a sign all was well. Grinning, she picked up the rabbit in her mouth and carried it to the man, wanting to see if he was hungry. She dropped it near his head, and waited. He looked at her and barked some more strange sounds, but she couldn't understand these either. She whined and nudged the rabbit closer to him, telling him it was his. He looked disgusted and pushed the rabbit away. The girl shrugged. She picked the rabbit up and carried it to a shaded spot, where she set it to save for later.

She went back to working on her shelter, dragging dry grass over the top to insulate and further waterproof it. She also brought some inside, laying it down for a padded bed for the man. She didn't plan on using the shelter, but the man would need it while recovering.

She finished, and walked around it, making sure it was structurally sound. Seeing it was, she turned back to the man. She whined and pranced a bit, trying to get him to move into the shelter. He just watched her. She growled irritably, then grabbed his coat and tugged it, whining. He seemed to get it this time, and struggled to his hands and knees.

She dove under him, pressing him up with her back, helping to support him. He grunted with surprise, but she managed to help drag him into the shelter. Before she let him lay down, she made him sit up so she could check his back, having been unable to before.

The wounds were few, but deep. She frowned, and got out more thread. The man sat still as she attended to his back, until she got to a gash that ran from mid-back to mid thigh. She tried pulling the clothing down so she could stitch that as well, but the man growled harshly at her and she skittered back, watching him warily.

He seemed to realize he had frightened her, so he closed his eyes and made some noises that sounded like an apology. His fingers checked the wound himself, then he nodded to her, telling her she could continue.

The girl approached him cautiously, but when he made no more threatening moves she finished stitching his wound. The man looked around the shelter, seeming to appreciate it. She guided him to his bed, and he again grew guarded. But when she helped him lay down, he relaxed. He closed his eyes and breathed raggedly, betraying now how much pain he had been in. She grinned comfortingly at him, then backed out of the shelter to search for water.

She again signaled for her dog to stay, then began walking in widening circles around her camp. Luck was with her. A clear spring bubbled to the surface only ten yards away from the shelter. She ran back and got a battered canteen, then filled it with the cool water for the man. She quenched her own thirst, then walked back.

The girl ducked into the shelter, bringing the canteen in with her. She handed it to the man, and he took it and muttered yet more sounds she didn't understand. She growled frustratingly. Why couldn't she understand him?

The man watched her, as if trying to understand her as well, then bought the canteen to his lips. He drank the water quickly, handing it back to her. She laid it down next to him, then left to bring the blanket in. It was going to be a warm, clear night, so she wouldn't need it. She laid it over him, then went back to her rabbit.

She tore part off with her teeth, almost half the rabbit, and gave it to her dog. He ate it quickly. She tore a leg off, and brought it in to the man. He looked at her carrying the raw leg in her teeth, then turned away. She shrugged and sat outside the entrance, eating it herself. She tore the strips off, swallowing without chewing. The man looked green, and she licked her lips clear of blood, wondering why.

On the edge of her vision, she saw her dog creeping toward the rest of the rabbit, and wheeled on him, raking her teeth on his ear. He yelped and slunk away, tail between his legs. She growled at him until he went into the bushes, then grabbed the rest of the rabbit herself and walked back to the entrance, eating that part as well.

The man's stomach growled, and she tried bringing some of the food to him, but he yelled at her until she walked back out of the shelter again. What a strange human, refusing food even though he was hungry.

When she had finished stripping the meat off, she began cracking the bones apart, licking up the salty marrow. Once done, she tossed them over to her dog, who snapped them up. She yawned, enjoying the night, then curled up to go to sleep near the entrance of the shelter, not blocking it in case the man had to leave for some reason.

The dog curled against her back, warming her, and she turned her head to lick the wound she had given him, and the man seemed to be curious about this. However, he said nothing, and the girl went to bed.

Kakuzu watched the girl sleep outside the entrance of the shelter, wondering who she was. Her clothes were torn, and too small for her. Whenever he tried to ask her about it, she just whined at him. Finally, he got it. Was it possible she couldn't understand him? She seemed to have no knowledge of human life, living like an animal, walking as easily on four legs as he did on two. She growled at her dog, and seemed to be frustrated whenever he talked to her.

His mind rewound to the when she had hunted the rabbit and brought it to him. Had she really been trying to feed him raw rabbit? She had eaten with no problem herself, snapping the bones with her powerful teeth. Where had she come from?

He sighed and shook his head slightly, trying to clear his thoughts. He really should be focusing on how to get out of here, and where Hidan was. Where was that albino, by the way? Kakuzu remembered him goading the bear, then having to go rescue him. His mind was blank until he woke to the girl standing over him. Though he had to admit, she did a good job with the stitches.

He looked at the few on his arm, seeing how the blue contrasted with his normal black threads. He looked back at the girl, sleeping curled up next to the dog she had viciously attacked before.

His fingers plucked at the slightly torn blanket covering him, wondering why she hadn't taken it herself. Though she didn't look too cold now.

He sighed and shook his head. It was no use trying to think on an empty stomach. He needed sleep, not thoughts bouncing around in his sleep. He closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

The girl woke in the pre-dawn light, yawning and stretching like she always did. She sniffed the air for the weather, then paced to the entrance of the shelter. The man's stomach was growling almost non-stop now, and again she wondered why he wouldn't take the rabbit. Maybe he didn't like rabbit?

She noticed his canteen was almost empty, and entered to grab it so she could fill it up again. The man's eyes snapped open, and he seemed alarmed. She looked around for any snake that may have bit him, but found none. What was wrong with him? Then she realized she must have startled him when she walked in, and hung her mouth open in apology. He looked at her, then laid back down.

She walked back out, carrying the canteen. She sprinted to the spring, running for the sheer joy of it, then filled the canteen and drank some herself. She listened to the birds whistle happily, then went and hid in the bushes, waiting.

Sure enough, a rabbit crept out of the bushes fearfully, looking everywhere. The girl stilled her breathing. The rabbit slowly made its way to the edge of the water, and when it bent its head down to drink she sprung. Her hands snapped its back, and she grabbed the skull in her teeth and twisted it until the neck snapped. Maybe the man would eat it if it wasn't so bloody.

She brought it back, then noticed her dog was hiding in the bushes fearfully. She dropped the rabbit so she could sniff the air. Fire!

She rushed forward, trying to see if she could save the man. To her surprise, the man was standing right next to the fire. She tackled him away from it, then got between the fire and him. She snarled at the fire fearfully, wondering why the man wasn't running. Was he too afraid?

The man growled and pushed her aside, trying to get back to the fire. Idiot! She grabbed his cloak in her teeth, now too afraid of the fire herself to get near it. Something hit her head, and she dropped to the ground. She looked up and saw the man holding his hand up, ready to hit her again. She looked at him fearfully, whimpering and flinching away from him. She heard him sigh, then he sat down.

She opened her eyes and saw him seated next to the fire. He gripped his side and hissed with pain, and she saw fresh blood seeping through the stitches. She whimpered and crawled up to him, accepting his dominance. He glanced at her, then he sighed again and made those same apologizing noises from before. She looked at him, confused. You don't apologize in a dominance fight.

He made eye contact, and before she could look away he did, submitting to her. She was now thoroughly confused. Was he or was he not alpha?

He looked back at the fire, and scooted closer to it. The girl flinched, expecting it to start eating him. When it didn't she got braver and moved slightly closer to it, mesmerized. The man watched her, amused. She lay down next to the flames, still afraid but enjoying the warmth it brought her. She let her eyes slide halfway shut, still cautious but trusting the man in his opinion.

The man laughed at her, and she lazily opened an eye to see what was so funny, then let it slide back shut again. She started panting, and when it got uncomfortable she rose and moved away. She suddenly remembered the rabbit, and walked slowly over to it, picking it up and bringing it to the man.

He made some more of those noises she didn't understand, then took it from her, making a face as he wiped her drool off his hands. He took out a knife, she recognized that even though she didn't have one herself, and watched him skin and gut the rabbit. She couldn't figure out why, though. The internals were the best part of the rabbit.

He ripped off a leg, then placed it on a flat rock next to the fire. The girl couldn't figure out any sane reason for that. He looked at the rest of the carcass, then held it out to her. She watched him, and when he didn't seem about to change his mind or hit her again, she came forward and took it gently from his hand. She paced away a few steps, then began eating it. What was left, she tossed to her dog, who was still too afraid to go near the fire.

Eventually, wonderful smells came from the leg on the rock. Her head snapped toward it, curious to see what change had taken place. To her surprise, the meat had turned crispy on the side near the fire, and was a rich brown on the side away from it.

The man followed her gaze, then picked up the leg. He let it cool briefly, then bit some off it. She watched him, and he caught her gaze. She looked away, thinking she had insulted him. A piece of meat landed in front of her nose, and she jumped away from it in surprise. The man chuckled again, and she bent her head to sniff it. Watching him, she picked it up off the ground, then bit into it.

She dropped it in surprise. It was delicious! The man laughed again at her expression, and she picked it up again and quickly finished. She licked her lips for any last trace of the flavor, then laid down. She closed her eyes, comfortably away from the fire, and dozed. She should be scavenging, but she was full and warm and didn't feel like moving. The smoke chased away all bugs and it was a nice day.

She heard a pack of coyotes howling in the distance, and her head and her dog's rose simultaneously. The man studied her, then tried to hear what she was, but failed. The howling aroused her from her hypnotized state, and she rose and started walking, signaling for the man to stay. Her dog rose with her, glad to be leaving the fire.

She began scavenging, looking for any early berries or apples. She walked miles, weaving quick baskets out of grass when she needed them. They wouldn't last long, but they were good for now. She walked back almost around sunset, and saw the man still sitting by the smoky remains of the fire.

He turned his neck stiffly when he saw her, and bared his teeth. She dropped to the ground, wondering at this sudden sign of hostility. The man frowned, then made those apologizing noises like before. She was really confused now. It was almost like he didn't know what he was saying…. Wait, maybe he didn't! Could it be possible he didn't talk like her? Was she really all alone?

Once sure he didn't really mean the hostile action, she walked forward. She realized he had been stuck sitting there the entire time, too weak to bring himself back to the shelter. She whimpered an apology, then helped him stand. She allowed him to use her as a crutch, then laid him down on his bed. She brought the canteen to him, then left again.

She sorted through the various items she had found, even some potatoes and rice. She looked curiously at the rock that had cooked the rabbit before, but changed her mind. She'd just eat them the way she normally did.

She entered the shelter again, bringing him the early raspberries. He made some more noises, which she decided to ignore. He frowned as he realized she couldn't understand him, then sighed and held out a handful of the sweet berries. She looked at him curiously. Why was he giving her part of his food? She had a sort of partnership with the dog, but he never willingly shared his food unless she took it, and she never shared her half with him. Why was this man trying to share?

She crept forward uncertainly, then held out her cupped hand. He poured the berries into it, and she slowly removed her hand, watching him still. He ate one, and she sniffed hers, making sure it wasn't a joke he was playing on her. But no, he just watched, and she tentatively ate one.

He smiled, trying to imitate hers but failing horribly. She giggled at his horrible attempt at smiling, and he frowned. She smiled at him again, and again he tried to imitate it, but failed again. The girl chuckled, and he gave up and rolled his eyes.

She ate another raspberry, feeling happy. He might not speak like her, but he was trying. Maybe she should try to learn his…?

She looked at him, trying to figure out what his smile was. Was it that teeth-baring thing? She pulled her lips back from her teeth, but he just looked alarmed. Besides, it just didn't feel right. She apologized for threatening him inadvertently, lowering her head and grinning slightly. He watched her closely, then tried copying her. She growled a 'no'. It just wasn't right.

They gave up imitating each other and focused on eating the berries. The girl finished hers first, then rose to leave. She had found a paste in a house that smelled like it could heal. Maybe it would help the man.

As she rose, he grabbed her arm. She flinched away from his touch, and he dropped his hand. He looked sadly at her, and she apologized for hurting him, whatever she had done. He pointed back outside, and she looked at him oddly. He wanted to go back out after he had just came in?

He looked pointedly at her, and she came over and helped him up. He leaned on her until they got to the smoky remains of the fire, and she helped him sit down. He breathed the fire back to life, much to her amazement.

He saw her expression and chuckled. He went through her food, and proceeded to cook. The dog came back with a rabbit, and the girl took it from him. She tore the rabbit in half, gave the front half to the dog, and the back half to the man. He skinned what was left, laying it on the rock to cook, stuffing the inside cavity with cubed potatoes and rice.

She watched him, curious. What was he doing? He didn't seem to know what to do with the nuts, so he left them. The girl began cracking them open with her teeth, making a pile on the ground. He watched her jaws work, seemingly amazed, though she couldn't see what was so special about her cracking nuts open.

She finished cracking the nuts long before the food was done, so they snacked on the nuts while they waited. They still finished ahead of time, so the girl yawned and curled up to take a nap. The man could keep the food, if he wanted. She had already eaten today.

To her surprise, he roused her when the food was done. She watched him oddly, not sure why he was waking her just so he could share the food. He split the food evenly in half, even though it was his share of the food. She took her share curiously, wondering why he was being so kind to her. All she did was help him from the bear. She would have done that for a squirrel.

Still, she bent her head to the food and began eating, relishing the flavor of the food. This was a delicacy she was not used to. She neatly tore little bits off, and when she got to the potatoes and rice she was amazed. They were almost as delicious as the rabbit! However, when she tried cracking the bones all she got was this nasty black stuff in her mouth. The marrow was useless.

She pushed the bones aside, laying her head down to wait for when the man was finished. He was taking forever, nibbling at his food. When he finally finished, it was well past dark.

He buried the fire, then tried standing up without her. She growled impatiently at him and helped, and he ducked his head in apology. She grinned. Yes, that was how to apologize, not those strange sounds that made no sense. He seemed to get it, and ducked his head again in practice. She grinned again. There, that was right.

She laid him down again, then exited. The coyote pack was again howling, and she and her dog lifted their heads, howling a warning to keep away. The two packs howled in harmony for a while, then the coyote pack suddenly cut off. The girl and dog waited for a while, then settled to sleep when they heard nothing more. The dog licked the back of her neck while she dozed, and she purred happily. He put his head down, then they both slept.

Kakuzu listened to the beautiful sounds coming from the girl's throat, not knowing they were warning howls. All he knew was that the sounds were luring him into sleep.

As he slipped under, he remembered her reaction to the fire. She had been scared of it, confirming his suspicions. He hadn't meant to hit her, but she had pushed him too far. He didn't care if she had been trying to 'save' him or not. Though it was kind of funny seeing her expression when she realized that the fire wasn't dangerous.

He fell into a dreamless sleep, comfortably warm under the blanket.

He woke to screams and snarls.

His eyes flashed open, and he rushed to his feet, feeling the stitches tear through his back and collapsing back on the ground. He saw the girl roll by the entrance, pursued by a coyote twice her size. He again tried standing, but he collapsed again under his back's silent screams. His eyes widened as he beheld a new sight.

A coyote crept through the entrance, a hungry gleam in its eye. Kakuzu knew he wouldn't be able to defend himself unless he let it close enough to bite him. Controlling his threads took energy, something he didn't have.

The coyote crept closer, ignoring the dying screams of one of its brethren. It prepared to spring, and was suddenly yanked back through the entrance with a frightened yelp. He heard a snarl of fear, then everything was silent.

Something panted painfully outside his range of sight, then the girl crawled in, cut above her eyes bleeding. Her eyes made sure he wasn't seriously hurt, then she dragged herself in. She noticed his back was bleeding, then got the poorly stocked first-aid kit. He turned his back to her, language barrier not allowing him to refuse.

She took out the old stitches, then started sewing in new ones. The needle stabbed in and out of his skin, something that would have hurt if he wasn't used to it. He just wished he wasn't so weak he depended on her for survival.

She finished with him, then turned her head awkwardly, holding the needle in her teeth and tearing her shirt over her shoulder. Kakuzu gaped as he saw the bleeding gash on her shoulder, deep enough the tooth had scraped the bone.

She took the needle out of her mouth and jabbed it into her skin, trying to stitch her wound shut. Kakuzu shook his head and took the needle from her. She looked at him, and he signaled her to come to him. She scooted close, angling her shoulder so that it faced him, and he began stitching. She trembled, but Kakuzu believed it was with shock, not with pain. She had too many scars to be affected by the stitching now.

He finished, and he looked around for a cloth to wipe the blood off her with. His eyes landed on his torn mask, and he used it to dab away the blood on her face first, then mopped up her shoulder. He couldn't find anything anti-bacterial, so he could only hope the wound wasn't infected.

She slowly sank to the floor when he was done, shivering and eyes glazed. He dragged the blanket over her, and dropped his head on the padded bed beneath him. He dropped into a restless sleep, waking at the slightest noise. When dawn came, he didn't feel rested at all.

The girl rose, shoulder stiff and unable to move much. She limped out of the shelter, and he could hear her footsteps fade away. He couldn't believe she was going to try hunting now, but remembered it wasn't like she could go to the nearest supermarket.

He sighed, and laid his head back down. He was exhausted and barely able to think. He fell into sleep, going through the attack again in his nightmares.


	2. Chapter 2

The girl limped heavily to the spring, annoyed with the shoulder that refused to move. She bent and got something to drink, swallowing deeply. Her shoulder ached deeply, and after she filled the canteen she soaked it in the ice-cold water. She sighed happily. That felt nice.

With the ache gone, she went and hid in the bushes, waiting for something she could kill. A wild pig came out on the other side, and she waited. It would have to cross over to this side to drink. It slowly ambled over, and she tensed.

It bent its head down, and the girl sprang. She hit it, but her shoulder wouldn't flex enough to allow her to grab her prey securely. She scrambled after the young boar, aware that if she lost this she would get no other chance today. It bit at her, and her arm lashed out toward it.

It slipped from her grasp, and she watched helplessly as it disappeared into the under growth, alerting everything with its shrill squeals. She stared after it, then snarled angrily and lashed at the water, shattering her reflection. She would have to scavenge for food today.

She walked back, to check on her dog, who had been left behind to bury the coyote bodies, and the man, ashamed that she couldn't feed him. She entered the camp, keeping her head low and keeping her eyes turned to the side in case the man got angry because there was no food.

He looked toward her, and he seemed to growl in disappointment. She lowered her head lower, then called her dog to her with a yelp. He came to her, and they both walked off, trying to find their food for the day. The man watched after her, brow furrowed.

Kakuzu raised his head when the girl came back, but she refused to meet his gaze. He realized then her hands were empty. That was why she refused to look at him. She was afraid he would beat her for not bringing back food.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you."

She just ducked her head lower, then yelped a strange yowl that brought the dog running. She walked off, apparently to find food.

He looked after her, concerned. Now, finally, he understood that her life wasn't a little paradise where she could just run out and catch food. She had to constantly defend her right to live here, as demonstrated by the coyotes. If she's injured, then that hampers her ability to get food. And if she can't get food, she starves. Her friendship with the dog was only from necessity, not a desire for companionship. The supported each other, but would take advantage of each other at the nearest opportunity. It was such a fragile existence.

He looked toward the spot where she had entered the brush, then sighed and settled down to wait. The sun began its slow descent in the sky.

The girl returned empty-handed. She hesitated before approaching the man, then whimpered softly and crawled out of the brush. She crept up to him beseechingly, begging for forgiveness.

The man looked at her, and his hand came down. She closed her eyes and cringed, preparing herself for the blow. Instead, his hand brushed her hair, patting her head softly. She opened her eyes slightly, and looked up at him. He looked down at her with forgiving eyes, and she opened her eyes all the way, apologizing. She whimpered, and he grinned down at her.

She had to smile at his failed attempt. He shook his head, corners of the mouth turned up. She panted happily, unsure of why. Why was he forgiving her, when they would all go hungry tonight? Somehow, miraculously, she found she didn't care to know his reason why. He was forgiving her, and that was all that mattered.

Thunder rumbled off in the distance, and she looked abruptly upward. She sighed unhappily. She had forgotten to check the weather this morning, and now she was going to have to sleep in the rain. It was getting cold, too, so she would probably wake with a cold. At least the man would be warm and dry.

He looked at the towering thunderheads too, frowning. He started to rise, and the girl helped him up. She led him into the shelter, and assisted him in lying down. She exited, and curled up near the entrance. Her dog curled against her, fluffing his fur against her, trying to help keep her warm. Shivering slightly, the girl settled to sleep.

She slept fitfully, and then the rain started, waking her. She shivered deeply and raised her head. She sighed and lowered her head back down, curled tightly to keep herself warm. Her bone-wracking shivers woke the dog, who grew annoyed and rose and walked away.

The girl looked after him pleadingly, but was ignored. She growled pitifully and again lowered her head, shivering off calories she didn't have.

To her surprise, a pleading tone emerged from the shelter. She looked in, and noticed the man looking out at her. He signaled for her to come in, but she turned away. There wasn't enough room for the both of them in there to sleep comfortably, and he needed to heal.

She heard an angry sigh, then the sound of skin brushing against branches. She looked up, and noticed him crawling out of the shelter. She lifted a lip and growled at him, but he continued, ignoring her.

He reached out, grabbing her arm and tugging insistently. She growled louder at him, trying to scare him off. He glared at her, then started pulling her in the shelter. She resisted weakly, but his strength won over hers.

Finally out of the rain, she could glare at him without rain running into her eyes. He looked at her stoically, and she shrunk under his gaze. She whimpered in apology, and he sighed frustratingly and tugged her arm to bring her between his bed and the cliff-face.

Forcing her to lie down, and glaring when she resisted, he grabbed his old torn coat and laid it over her. Making sure she stayed, he lay back down as well, bringing the blanket over himself. He angled his body to block her escape from the shelter, and she glared at him even stronger. He grinned at her in his own way, baring his teeth, and she sighed and turned aside, snuggling under the coat. She curled up, and fell quickly asleep.

She woke a few hours later, comfortably dry and warm. She stretched, and her fingers brushed warm flesh. She lazily opened her eyes, looking at the sleeping giant next to her. As she had nothing better to do, mainly because he was blocking the entrance, she watched him. He was so much like her, yet so different. He couldn't talk, though she couldn't figure out why. Maybe he wasn't raised right?

He started stirring, and she rose to her hands and knees, thinking he was waking. Instead, he grabbed her and drew her close, muttering fitfully in his sleep. He kept saying one sound over and over again, and she couldn't figure out what it meant.

She nudged him until he let go of her, then crawled around him, into the chilly morning. She looked around her, deciding it was time to move the camp today. She had stayed here long enough, and the animals were cautious and most of the scavangeable food was gone. The man was well enough to move.

It was then that she remembered the healing cream. She would give it to him this morning, since she doubted she would be able to hunt today. This would be another day they wouldn't eat, unless the dog managed to catch something.

She grabbed the canteen, walking to the spring. She filled it, and heard the sounds of a human walking. She circled around, keeping downwind, even though she doubted he would be able to smell her anyway. She peered out of the undergrowth, hidden. The human seemed to be muttering to himself, fighting with the brambles.

She had to keep from laughing. If the human had walked ten feet further, he would have been able to avoid the bramble patch entirely. Well, that showed how stupid the noisy ones were.

She walked away, certain he wasn't a threat. Besides, they were leaving within half an hour. She arrived back at the camp, hearing the man awakening. She walked up to him, wondering how to tell him they were leaving. Well, if she packed up, he might understand.

She started gathering her stuff, mostly her medical supplies and some string for whatever she might need it for. He stumbled out of the shelter, and she turned to see his frightened look. She stood up quickly, wondering what he was afraid of, trying to get a hint from his gaze. Then she realized he was afraid of her leaving.

She smiled at him, showing she wasn't leaving him, then continued gathering her stuff. He watched her, and she threw the healing cream towards him. He caught it, then brought it close to his face to look at the strange symbols. He seemed pleased, then opened it and started smearing some on his stitches. He couldn't reach his back, though, and looked at her.

The girl came over and dipped her fingers into the paste, spreading it on his back. Once it was coated, she closed the container and tossed it over with the rest of their items. She grabbed the blankets and the man's clothes from the shelter, then took it apart, spreading the branches around. She buried the fire pit, then gathered the stuff together in the blanket and picked it up. Time to go.

She started walking, making sure the man could keep up. The dog also walked beside her, knowing her routine of moving camp every few days. She didn't like staying in one place. Staying still led to being discovered.

They began walking, slower than what she usually walked but still keeping a swift pace. The man started panting after a while, and she handed him the canteen and sat down to rest.

He sat on a rock, and she lay down at his feet. She yawned, and waited for him to catch his breath. Her dog lifted its head quickly, then looked at her. She nodded, giving permission, and he took off. He came back a few moments later with a groundhog in his jaws.

The girl grabbed it, and tore it in half, giving the dog his share. She ripped off a leg and offered it to the man, who refused. She shrugged, and devoured it herself. When only a few scraps of fur remained, she rose, ready to continue. The man stood as well, and they continued walking.

When they had walked a few more miles, the girl became aware of shouting. She signaled to the man to remain still, and edged forward. A few hundred feet past them, a human was attacking a bear. It was the same man from earlier, she realized. This one really was stupid, purposely attacking a brown bear.

The man came up from behind her, and made a surprised sound of recognition. She looked at him, then looked again at the smaller man fighting the bear. She tensed her muscles, then sprung.

The girl had signaled him to stay put, but Kakuzu was curious as to what she had heard. He looked around her, and to his surprise saw his partner fighting a bear.

"Hidan?"

The girl looked up at him, then looked back at Hidan. She lowered herself, and Kakuzu felt, rather than saw, her leap. There was a tenseness beside him, and then a surge of power as she launched herself at the bruin.

"Wait!"

The girl's teeth latched onto the bear's snout, and her momentum swung the bear's head around. The neck issued a few precarious pops, then the girl let go, flinging herself out of reach of the bear's claws. The bear's off-balance body tilted precariously to the side, and Hidan kicked the bear's legs, making it fall over.

The bear roared and rose clumsily to its feet, glaring at Hidan.

"Hidan, move out of there!" Hidan looked toward him.

"Kakuzu?"

The bear's claws, unseen by Hidan, arced towards him. The girl leapt, knocking Hidan out of the way and taking the hit of the bear's claws herself. They streaked across her back, leaving five bloody furrows behind them.

The girl screamed, and the dog joined the fight, grabbing the bear's paw. The bear lashed toward it with it's other paw, but the girl had jumped up and slashed her nails across it's face, causing it to roar with pain and rear back. The dog let go, and the bear shook it's head, blood drops spraying everywhere.

It glared at them with it's one remaining eye, then roared and shambled off, looking for easier prey.

Kakuzu stared after it, then rushed to Hidan.

"Hidan, are you mad?! What were you thinking?!"

"Who the fuck is she?" Hidan asked, pointing at the girl. She limped toward Kakuzu, whining.

"She saved my life. Now, what the hell did you think were doing?"

"I wanted revenge on the fucking bear, Kakuzu."

Kakuzu was about to shout at Hidan some more, but an impatient whine caused him to turn his attention to the girl. She held the medical kit in her hands, and was growling softly at him. He sighed, then took it from her and motioned for her to turn around. She did so, and he began stitching up her wounds. She hissed as he smeared some of the stinging cream across the new wounds, then turned toward Hidan, growling softly.

"Kakuzu, what the fuck is she doing?"

"She doesn't know how to talk. I've tried to get something from her, but she has no clue what I'm saying."

"What are you still doing with her? Aren't you fine?"

"Hidan, if I was fine I would have left already. I can't even control my threads right now, I'm so weak. She's been feeding and caring for me these past few days."

"Well, where are you two going now?"

"I have no idea, all I know is she didn't want to stay at that last camp. Come on, let's get going. I haven't eaten all day, and I'm pretty sure we have a while to walk before she hunts again."

"Hunts?"

"She lives out here, Hidan. She doesn't go near any buildings."

He began walking after the girl, who had already made it a few feet ahead of him. Hidan opened his mouth again, but then closed it and followed after him.

The girl ignored the two growling at each other, and continued walking. The nights were getting colder, and now she would have to feed two humans. The dog laid his ears back at the noisy man, growling softly. The girl turned back to the giant, whining and growling at the same time. He took the hint, and said something to the smaller one that made him shut up.

The girl smiled in thanks, then turned back. She had an idea of where they could sleep. She had found the place a few years ago, so it should be safe now.

She walked a few more mile southwest, then turned to a cliff of jumbled rocks. Signaling to the man, she began climbing. She leaped easily from boulder to boulder, and often had to wait for the two to catch up. She would spend these times laying on some rocks above them, grinning as she watched them struggle upward. The smaller man would shout loudly when he saw her doing this, and the giant would growl at him until he quieted.

Finally, they made it to the top. The two men rested, panting heavily while the girl tore branches off trees to make a shelter for the three of them. The top of the small plateau had a small cliff on it, and dry sand for a floor. It was a perfect place to build a shelter, and there was a river near by.

She piled the branches against each other, intertwining them to make the roof and walls of the shelter. When she needed, she cut off precious amounts of her string, but it was mostly to bind main supports together. She swept the floor level, then exited to climb down and get dry grass, for padded beds and additional roofing.

The two watched her leap from rock to rock, growling to themselves, and she arrived on the forest floor. She walked to the edge of a feeder stream, pulling up armfuls of dead grass and piling it. When she felt she had a big enough bundle, she wrapped more string around it and climbed back up, hauling it behind her. She layered the roof first, then set up two beds.

When she walked back out, the smaller one growled something at her, but she just stared blankly at him. She had no idea what he was trying to say. He eventually gave up, and stormed over to the other and sat down next to him.

The girl looked over at the giant, expression curious. He just shook his head, and she again climbed down the rocks, this time heading for the river. Her dog, waiting at the bottom, rose and followed her. She waded into the river, and slowly headed upstream, angling her hands in the water.

She came to an eddy, and waited patiently, moving forward a little at a time. A sudden flash in the water betrayed the position of a fish, and she cautiously headed toward it. The swift current kept the silt from her footsteps from reaching the fish, and she came up behind it, fingers lightly tickling its belly. She waited until it was comfortable with her there, then her fingers quickly reached under its gills and flung it out of the water. Her dog landed on it, keeping it from flopping back in, and she repeated the process.

When she had caught ten, she climbed out of the chilly water and gave three to her dog. He swallowed them quickly, then followed her to the cliff. While she climbed, he scratched out a small nest at the bottom, already asleep.

She leaped lightly to the top, holding her glimmering prize in her hands. She tossed five of them to the pair, then started tearing the thin layer of scales off her own. She buried her teeth in the pale flesh, ignoring the smaller one's questioning growls. She didn't like him too much. He wouldn't shut up.

She picked the flesh off the small bones, tossing them over the cliff along with the skins when she was done. The larger man was muttering about something, while also striking something together.

She looked with brighter interest as she saw sparks shoot out from between his hands. She crawled slowly closer, and the giant started chuckling at her. She watched his hands, waiting for more sparks to shoot out.

The man grunted, and she pulled her head back quickly as more sparks rained down. They landed on a small pile of dead leaves, and she watched in awe as the man breathed them into small flames.

The girl set her chin down on the back of her hands, watching the flames closely. They were beautiful, commanding her attention.

She started creeping closer to them, and was pulled back quickly by the giant. He growled a warning sound at her, and she looked up at him. He muttered more sounds to her, berating her. She lowered her head and grinned, then looked back at the flames, staying safely away. With her belly comfortably full and her body warm, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

She was roused a little while later by the smell of something burning. She raised her head quickly, looking around her. However, the only thing burning was the fish, which the two men ate grumpily.

She yawned and lowered her head down again, dozing lightly. Something landed in front of her face, and she quickly leaped away, alarmed. However, it was just a piece of fish. She looked over at the giant, who wasn't even looking in her direction. Then she looked at the smaller one.

He was watching her intently, observing her. She watched him cautiously, then sniffed the fish. She picked it up, then slowly ate it, aware of the man's gaze. He growled loudly at her, and she leaped away, snarling at him. He was baring his teeth and standing up, threatening her. She hunched her shoulders and prepared herself for his attack, meeting his gaze and growling.

The man blinked and covered his teeth, seemingly shocked. The other man growled something at him, and he quickly sat back down. The giant apologized, and the girl watched the smaller one carefully. He averted his gaze, refusing to look at her. She dropped her threatening pose and walked back over to the fire, laying down again.

Still slightly on edge, she waited for the sun to set, so she could convince the giant to go in and sleep herself. The wounds on her back burned, and her shoulder was sore and stiff.

With a tremendous yawn, the giant rose, and the girl quickly rose to help him. He was better, but he still shouldn't be walking by himself. She led him to one of the beds, then walked to the other side, laying down directly on the sand. It would rain tonight, but the cliff would keep most of it off the shelter.

She tossed the blanket over to him, curling up herself. The smaller man came in, and she signaled him to lay down on the other bed. He watched her, then lay down. Using a coat like the giant's as a blanket, he turned over to his side and fell asleep.

The girl watched the fire dim down, and she felt her eyes slowly sink down along with the flames.

She woke to muffled voices on the ground below her. Silently, she rose, and stalked over to the edge, keeping hidden. The men also rose with her, and the smaller one followed her.

On the ground below them were five people wearing masks, examining the fish bones and skin. They talked softly to themselves, and one looked up towards them. The girl stilled her breath, and he looked back down again. The smaller man silently rose and walked to the giant, mumbling something to him. He rose, and walked over as quietly as he could with the smaller one's help.

They watched the people below them, and the girl could smell their fear-scent. She looked at them, and they were watching the one's below cautiously, as if they didn't want to be found. She looked back down at the five people, then slowly sank down the side of the cliff. The giant hissed a warning at her, but she continued crawling down the rocks silently. If her companions didn't want to be found, they wouldn't.

Kakuzu watched helplessly as the girl slithered down the cliff face, keeping hidden. He tried calling her back up, but either she didn't hear him or was ignoring him. Probably the second option.

The ANBU stood below, unaware of the girl's approach. She leapt silently from rock to rock, becoming a ghost. A ghost that would soon attack them. She sat quietly on a rock directly above them, waiting for the opportunity to attack. Beside him, Kakuzu could hear Hidan tighten his grip on his scythe, ready to spring when the girl attacked. They couldn't be allowed to live now.

The girl suddenly tensed, as did Hidan beside him. One of the ANBU paused, as if sensing something. She shrugged it off, and continued giving her orders. As soon as her back was turned, the girl leapt.

She grabbed the woman's shoulders as she landed on her back, twisting her head to bury her teeth in her throat. The woman screamed briefly, but the sound was cut off as the girl ripped the throat out. That all happened in the amount of time it took Hidan to rise to his feet and spring down.

His scythe slashed a man in half as they stared at the girl in shock, unbelieving. Then they came to their senses.

The girl leaped off the still falling body, already snarling at her next target. Her hands grabbed his arm, and she swung herself around to perch on his shoulders. She bent her head down, and her teeth sank into the neck. Before she could find his throat, however, he tore her off him, and her teeth ripped a chunk of flesh out of his neck.

Hidan parried with the other two, and the girl crouched before the man she had attacked, snarling. He looked at her uncertainly, not prepared to fight an unarmed foe who had already killed one and almost killed another. He had been trained to combat all kinds of ninja, but none like her.

Kakuzu could see the dog creep up behind the man, and he saw the girl raise two fingers slightly off the ground. The dog tensed, and the girl dropped her fingers, lightly drumming them against the ground in a signal her enemy would never understand. The dog sprang up and bit the back of the man's neck, snarling. The man screamed and predictably tilted his head back, and the girl jumped up and tore out the exposed throat.

Hidan lopped the head off one of his enemies, and before he could kill the other the girl came out of nowhere and landed on her back, twisting the neck until it snapped. She tore the throat out to guarantee her death, and lightly sprang off, landing on her feet.

She stood, panting, and looked at Hidan. He looked back at her, then nodded. She had earned his approval. She grinned in her own way, then picked up one of the bodies and began dragging it, heading towards the river. Hidan also picked up a body and followed her, grinning happily.

Kakuzu sighed and rolled away from the edge, fuming. He hated being so weak, he had to depend on her. She was a good fighter, however. She had beaten Hidan in body count.

He heard the two start to climb back up, Hidan chatting happily to the girl even though he knew she couldn't understand him. She was grinning as well, blood sprayed down her front. She sprang up the cliff, then landed next to Kakuzu, barking delightedly. He attempted her smile again, and her grin stretched even wider. He rolled his eyes. He would probably never get it right.

Hidan clambered up next to her, grinning, and he reached over and patted her shoulder.

"Good job, bitch." He then turned to Kakuzu.

"Dude, she was fucking awesome! Did you see her?!"

"Yes, I saw her. She beat you by one."

Hidan's grin fell. "She only beat me because she stole one of mine. I should have won."

Mentioned girl panted happily, stretching and wiggling into the sand. She grinned at them both, eyes bright. Hidan again turned to her, grinning madly. She watched him cautiously, but when Hidan made no threatening movements, she decided to interpret his teeth-baring grin into a smile.

She lay on the sand, dozing slightly, then yawned and rose. She stretched, and leaped again down the cliff, walking off into the distance.

"Hey Kakuzu? Where's she going?"

"Probably somewhere to hunt. She still has to feed us, you know."

"Oh."

They watched her silently as she walked through a field of tall grass, dog pacing beside her. The dog suddenly barked and ran forward. A deer's head lifted, and it took off.

The dog chased the deer around, bringing it back to the girl. As soon as it passed her, she took off as well, running swiftly after it. She ran on two legs at first, then fell forward and began sprinting on four. She ran behind the deer, trying to catch up to it. Her long strides brought her closer and closer, and Kakuzu could see her chest heaving with the effort.

When she was running level with the buck, she sprang up, landing on it's back. She sank her teeth into the flesh and held on as the hips were dragged down with her weight. They squirmed for a bit, and the pair couldn't see anything through the dust. When it cleared, the buck was trying to scrape her off with it's antlers, which she barely avoided while maintaining her grip. The deer's head was twisted toward her, and the dog snapped its jaws around the exposed throat. It fought briefly, then lay still.

The girl and dog lifted their heads and howled in victory, the sounds piercing through the air. When they were finished, they began dragging the deer back.

Both Hidan and Kakuzu were breathless, the hunt having excited them so.

"Kakuzu, I see what you mean now. She was made for this world, not ours. She wouldn't be able to survive in a city. This is where she was meant to be. Jashin would be pleased if she chose to follow him."

"Hidan, I highly doubt she would follow your god even if she knew what you were saying. Now go down there and help her drag the deer up. It looks heavy."


	3. Chapter 3

After enjoying a lovely venison dinner, the three lounged around the fire, the girl still mystified by it. It was kind of entertaining to see her watching it with a child-like wonder. She almost reminded them of Deidara….

As they thought that, they felt a twinge. They would have to leave her and this lifestyle eventually. They were already used to this, hunting when needed. Kakuzu had already told Hidan what had happened, and he was slightly amazed by her. She made living like this seem so easy, ignoring the wounds the bear and coyotes had given her. Now that they thought about it a bit, though, they were kind of wondering what she would do in winter. If she rarely ate now, feeding them, they would have to leave before she had to starve.

They sat still, not knowing they were both thinking the same thoughts. Around sunset, the girl rose again, licking dried blood off her lips. She still didn't eat cooked meat, other than the tidbits they would occasionally toss to her. She padded over to Kakuzu, growling questioningly. He shook his head at her, showing he didn't understand. She frowned, then walked into the shelter and grabbed the canteen. She growled again, and he nodded. She was asking if he was thirsty.

She held it out to him, and he gulped it down. Hidan held out his hand, and Kakuzu handed it to him when he was finished. Hidan drained it, then handed it to the girl. She took it, and bounded down the cliffs, heading to the river. They watched her, loping through the trees with the grace of a wolf.

They sat silently, not wanting to ruin the peace with voices that didn't fit in with the world they now lived in. The girl came back, slightly out of breath and holding a now full canteen. She laid it down inside the shelter, then came back to lay down next to them.

The girl yawned drowsily, staring blankly at the fire as the crickets chirped. It was a scene from a different time, a time where fire was relatively new and civilization didn't exist.

Kakuzu rose, staggering slightly, and the girl abruptly stood as well. She came over and supported him as he walked to the shelter, helping him lie down on his bed. She handed him his blanket, then looked out to Hidan. He sighed, then got up and walked in as well, laying on his bed. The girl curled up in her spot, burying herself slightly in the sand.

Hidan growled softly, and tossed Kakuzu's shredded coat over her. She raised her head, startled, then laid it back down, snuggling into the coat, sniffing the smells on it as she settled to sleep. He watched her briefly, then rolled to his side. He vaguely remembered rain starting, but he was asleep before he could think.

Kakuzu woke in the middle of the night, unsure of why. He looked around, seeing nothing and unable to hear through the pounding rain. Lightning flashed, followed immediately by thunder, and he felt something shiver against him. The frightened whines told him who it was, and he turned his head to look at the girl.

She was staring out the entrance with frightened eyes, wincing at every flash of light and shivering at every boom of thunder. Kakuzu sighed, then rolled over and held her.

She jumped when he moved, but her fear of the storm was greater than her fear of upsetting him. She did nothing but shiver as the storm progressed, eyes wide and body trembling.

Kakuzu stayed up with her, watching out the entrance as well. He tightened his grip on her whenever she shook, and when a particularly loud boom ensued, she yelped and buried her face in his arm, refusing to look up for the rest of the night. He rocked her softly, waiting for dawn to come.

The girl stayed still, face buried in the man's arm. She felt safe, like she had when her mother had been still alive. She missed her mother, but she wasn't coming back. She had to fend for herself now, stay strong by herself. And she had, except during storms. Her greatest fear had always been storms, and she had never been able to conquer that fear. Now, as she lay shivering, she felt safer, held in the arms of someone stronger than her.

When the morning came, the storm was still continuing, so the girl remained still, afraid to venture out. She did unbury her face, however, and watched the storm in the growing light.

She heard the smaller one wake, and he growled at the one that held her in a tone that sounded almost jealous. The giant growled back in a calm voice, and the smaller one stalked outside, braving the tempest. The giant seemed to hesitate, then sighed and released her, also venturing outside.

The girl remained in the shelter, too afraid to go outside. The man did throw in some of the deer about midday, which she ate little of. When the storm eventually calmed down, it was then she ventured out, into the fine drizzle that misted down.

She refused to meet the gazes of the two, embarrassed of her irrational fear. The smaller one growled some comforting sounds at her, which made her feel even worse. She hung her head, seeing that they had managed to find some early apples while she had been hiding. She was worthless, a coward.

Her dog snarled suddenly, and she forgot her fear and ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down. A small coyote, possibly one of the remainder of that pack, was cornered against the cliff. The girl ran down the slippery rocks, almost falling a couple times. She tackled the coyote, who simply let himself drop. He submitted to her, much to the girl's surprise.

She leaped away from him slightly, looking at him oddly. He was thin, a yearling, barely out of the den. He crawled up to her, pleading. She snarled, and he dropped to the ground. His tail thumped the ground, and she looked down at him, considering. Finally, she made up her mind. Her dog was getting old. Might as well add a new member to the pack.

She barked gruffly, saying yes. The coyote yipped happily, while her dog watched her. She nodded to him, making it official. The dog growled, and walked back to his shelter, the pup following him.

She watched them, then scrambled back up the slippery rocks. The two men stared at her, and she looked curiously back. What was so strange about adding a new member to the pack?

They watched her, conflicting emotions on their faces. They seemed to be almost relieved, but also afraid. Why?

The little one growled something at her, and it seemed to be almost apologizing. She watched him, cautious. What was it?

When he remembered that she couldn't understand him, he just looked at her sadly and walked away. And, irrationally, the girl couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to lose something soon.

The sun set quickly, a horrible reminder to the girl that winter would come soon. She had barely been able to survive last winter, and that was with extra body fat reserves. She had none this year. She probably wouldn't live. She could always steal from the noisy ones, but….

She shook her head. No, that wasn't an option. She still had the bullet wounds from when she had tried stealing a sick chicken from one farm. It wasn't worth it.

She sighed and lay her head back down, and the smaller one came and sat near her. He growled something in a questioning tone, and she raised her head to look at him. This was the first time she had noticed his eyes were pink. She cocked her to the side, curious. He tried to talk to her quite a bit, even though he knew she couldn't understand him.

He growled to her again, using the same tones. Thinking he wanted her to copy him, like with the giant one, she imitated the tones, trying to get the same pitch. His eyes lit up, and he said something else. She again imitated him, and he grew even more delighted. He growled the first thing again, and she again copied him.

His expression fell. The giant one told him something in a disappointed tone, and the smaller one pulled away. He looked at her sadly, and she wondered what he had been asking her.

Kakuzu sighed. Hidan had been so disappointed when he discovered the girl was only copying him. He had asked her name, and when she had growled it back, surprisingly well, he had been delighted. He told her his name, and she copied that as well. Then he asked her name again. When she again copied him, he had realized that she didn't know what she was doing. She was only imitating him, a game to her.

Hidan sat sulking by the edge of the cliff. Kakuzu was slightly confused. Why was Hidan so obsessed with her anyways?

"Hidan, why do you want her to talk so much?"

Hidan huffed.

"Answer me, or you'll be the next one down the cliff."

Hidan sighed, then scooted away from the edge.

"So you're going to talk to me?"

"Shut up, Kakuzu." Kakuzu blinked. When Hidan didn't swear, that was when he was upset.

"Hidan, what's up?" Hidan sighed again.

"She's one of Jashin's chosen, Kakuzu. And she doesn't even know it."

"What do you mean?"

"The scars on her back. The scars follow the mark of Jashin."

Surprised, Kakuzu looked over. The scars, seeable through the torn shirt, did indeed follow the pattern of a triangle enclosed in a circle. The one that completed the pattern was one of the claw marks from the bear the day before.

"So?"

"Kakuzu, she's the only other chosen besides me I have ever seen. You know as well as I do that she's not going to survive the winter. How can I just leave her to die?"

Kakuzu looked at Hidan thoughtfully.

"That's not the only thing wrong, is it?"

Hidan put his forehead on his knees.

"Hidan."

"Kakuzu, I think I love her."

"You think?" Kakuzu asked, amused.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?! Jashinists aren't supposed to fall in love, and I never have!"

Kakuzu wisely stayed quiet. Hidan continued.

"I feel weird around her. And I was jealous when she chose you to comfort her in the storm instead of me. Me, jealous!"

"Hidan, you've barely known her three days. Give it time. And about her dying, aren't Jashinists immortal?"

"Not all. Immortality was Jashin's gift to me. I don't know what her gift is. She seems to have no special talent, except for her hunting. But that was learned." He paused, then continued, "We're going to have to leave soon, aren't we?"

"We should leave tomorrow, but with the storm, we don't know what the travel conditions will be like, and I can still barely walk on my own. The day after tomorrow, we're leaving."

Hidan remained silent.

"Hidan, the only reason you feel like you're in love with her is because your hormones are finally acting up. Your voice might finally change too…" Kakuzu left off there, because he knew that that statement would redirect Hidan's mind.

"What the fuck do you mean?! My voice has changed, you fucking asshole!"

"Then why is it I get a headache every time you open your mouth?"

"Fuck you!"

Hidan rose and stormed off to the other side of the small plateau. The girl watched him move, startled, then looked back at Kakuzu. He smiled at her, showing it wasn't important. She looked at him as if doubting him, then yawned and again laid her head back on her hands, drowsing.

Kakuzu watched her, and he might have felt a little twinge too.

The girl yawned and rose, aware that the smaller man was angry and the giant was doing nothing to calm him. She padded over to him, whining softly. He looked at her, startled, then turned his body to face her. He growled in soft tones to her, full of emotion. She met his gaze, wondering what he was saying. One of the sounds seemed familiar….

The girl realized with a start that it was the same sound her mother used to say to her. Why was this man telling her this…?

Feeling a bare inkling of understanding, she growled one of the noises he had told her earlier. He stopped and stared at her in shock, eyes full of wonder. The giant also turned suddenly, also in shock. The smaller one growled something else, and she hesitantly repeated the sound. He frowned slightly, then pointed at himself. He repeated that sound, and the girl copied him, unsure of what he was trying to say. He pointed at the giant, making a different noise….

Suddenly, it hit the girl. Could these be their names? Were they telling her their names?

She pointed at the smaller one, growling his name-sound, than at the giant, saying his. The smaller one's eyes sparkled, overjoyed. The giant growled something in a wondering tone, and she looked at him and said his name-sound. Her attention turned back to the smaller one as he grabbed a stick and scratched something into the sand.

She watched him carefully, observing the symbols in the flickering firelight. He made five symbols, pointed at them, himself, and growled his name at the same time. She shook her head, not understanding. What was he trying to tell her?

The giant said something else, and the smaller man happily threw the stick off the cliff, giving up but not caring. He smiled brilliantly at her, and she couldn't help but return the gesture. Just by growling a few sounds, she had made him so happy. He started laughing, rising at the same time. He walked to the shelter and lay down, still chuckling to himself. She stared after him with a bewildered expression, then turned to the giant.

She growled his name-sound, and he nodded. He rose, and she assisted him into the shelter. He almost didn't need her help, and she suddenly realized sadly that he would soon be well enough to leave. And she would be alone again.

As she laid herself down, she whimpered softly. She didn't want to be alone. Not ever again. She couldn't be alone.

She couldn't.

She was roused the next morning by the smaller man whistling. Her head rose quickly, and she noticed the late morning sun shining through the branches. She shook her head, confused. How had she slept so late? Then she noticed that she was laying on a padded bed.

She leaped up, confused. How had she gotten here? Then she noticed the smaller man chuckling as he looked in at her. Looking around, she noticed she was sleeping on his bed.

She looked at him, grumbling loudly. The man laughed out loud, dancing away. She shook her head, then rose and stretched, fore and aft. She yawned, baring her teeth, then galloped out of the shelter.

The giant growled quietly to her in greeting, and she growled back. She looked over at the remains of the deer, and decided to let them have the rest while she hunted for herself. She woofed to them, then leaped off the edge of the cliff, bounding down the rocks. The two men watched her as she bounded away.

Five minutes later she was stalking a rabbit through the undergrowth, a deadly ghost. The rabbit continued on its path, oblivious to her existence. She stalked silently forward, making her move. Within the next ten seconds, the rabbit would be her meal.

The rabbit lowered its head, nibbling at the grass stalks. The girl sprang, landing and pinning it to the ground. Its scream rang shrilly through the air, and the girl swiftly ripped its throat out. She panted, blood leaking from her jaws, then slowly turned with the rabbit in her jaws, padding away on all fours.

She arrived back at the base of the cliff, and paused, listening to the excited voice of the smaller man above her. She leaped up the rocks, landing gracefully on the edge of the cliff. She looked at the smaller man, who was holding something small and silver in his hands, then went to go sit so she could eat.

She laid down on the ground, burying her teeth in the still-warm flesh. The silver haired man pointed the silver object at her, and she looked curiously up, in mid-process of tearing a piece of meat from the rabbit.

The thing suddenly flashed, and she yelped and leaped away, snarling. The smaller one started laughing at her, then pointed the thing back at her and it flashed again. She snarled at him, nervous of the object. When they didn't seem too afraid of it, she eventually calmed down and went back to her rabbit, trying to ignore it.

The smaller man kept flashing it at her, annoying her severely. When he stood precariously close to the edge of the cliff, she couldn't resist….

Kakuzu looked up suddenly at Hidan's shout, looking up in barely enough time to see Hidan go over the edge. The girl calmly watched him fall, and Kakuzu had to keep from laughing. She had pushed him! She had finally grown annoyed enough to push him over a cliff!

Hidan slowly climbed back up, looking confused.

"Hey, Hidan, what happened?" Kakuzu asked, trying to keep from laughing.

Hidan shook his head. "I don't know. I must have tripped or something…."

Kakuzu muffled his laughter as the girl walked calmly past Hidan, looking disdainfully at the camera. Hidan had earned it. He had taken WAY too many pictures with the stupid camera they had 'found'. Okay, they had robbed some hikers, but still….

He picked up the camera thoughtfully, scrolling through the pictures. Hidan had taken some good ones, though. All the pictures showed the girl's odd personality, the quizzical way she viewed things. The first one was the best. She was looking directly at it, eyes bright and curious.

Kakuzu pressed the 'next' button, smiling at the photo of the girl snarling defiantly at the camera. She had a lot of spirit, even through the life she lived.

Kakuzu turned the camera off, putting it gently aside. He might print some of those pictures later.

The girl sniffed the remains of her rabbit, seeing if there was anything left worth eating. When she found nothing, she tossed the skeleton over, along with the ragged hide. The dogs below fell on it, snarling. They had been hunting for themselves, but food was food.

She yawned, laying on her back. The two men had gone down to the river, and they had told her to stay. She didn't know why they didn't want her to come, but she wasn't going to argue.

She had just started dozing when she heard the yell. Worried, she took off down the cliff, running as fast as she could to the river. When she arrived, she could see nothing wrong. The men's clothing was thrown to the side, and they were swimming in the frigid water, though she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

The smaller man turned and saw her there, then started shouting at her. She cocked her head to the side, wondering what was wrong. The only thing unusual here was the two in the water.

She yawned and lay down, eyes sliding half-shut. The smaller man eventually stopped yelling at her, and continued grumbling to himself. The girl watched the water, deciding to make herself useful while she was here. She didn't know why they were swimming, but someone needed to make sure the river was predator-free.

Her eyes snapped toward a spot in the water, not quite certain why it had alarmed her. She studied it closely, then realized that the water was too calm there. She crouched, then sprung into the freezing water.

They had gone to bathe, but Hidan had of course ruined that by jumping in the cold water as soon as he got there. He shouted and quickly climbed back out, cursing at the water temperature.

Kakuzu sighed and calmly walked in, gasping as the water covered him. He washed the grime off him, trying to hurry. The water was COLD.

They were startled when the girl came crashing through the brush, and of course Hidan had to yell at her to go away. For being so rude, he really was shy.

"Hidan, I don't think anything you have is new to her. She has a male dog, remember?"

"Kakuzu, how am I supposed to wash with her watching?!"

"Look, Hidan, she's not even watching. Her head is turned the other way. Besides, if you wouldn't have yelled, she wouldn't have come anyways."

Hidan grumbled to himself, then continued trying to scrub dried blood off him. Kakuzu was almost finished when the girl's head snapped toward a spot downstream of them. She watched it oddly, then crouched. Kakuzu tried seeing what she saw, but failed.

The girl leaped into the water, surfacing with a fish the size of a medium dog. Her teeth were buried behind its head, thrashing and trying to subdue it, while her hands gripped its fins. She threw it over to the bank, then took a fist-sized rock and bashed its head once. It flopped once more, then was still.

She snorted water out of her nose, then climbed out of the river, clothes dripping. She shook her head like a dog, soaking Kakuzu again. He glared at her, then climbed out of the water. Letting himself at least drip somewhat dry, he walked over to the fish, examining it.

He blinked in surprise. He didn't know alligator gar lived around here. From the size of that thing, its jaws could have easily taken a hand or foot, or…. another important…. organ.

Hidan climbed out of the water as well, apparently getting over his shyness. He poked a stick in the fish's jaws, and even though it was dead, the teeth snapped shut, shattering the stick into a bunch of tiny splinters.

"Holy fucking shit!"

"See why it's good to have her around? Can you imagine that thing biting us?"

Hidan paled. "I am never swimming in a river again."

The girl yawned, then picked up the fish and started dragging it back to the cliff.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah. Let's get dressed and head back."


	4. Chapter 4

The girl dragged the fish onward, aware of the two following behind her. The fish was heavy, and in her weakened state, she had to stop after a while to rest.

She panted, looking down at the fish. Why did it have to be so big?!

When she had caught her breath, she continued dragging the fish behind her, climbing the jumbled rocks. She finally got it over the edge of the cliff, and she finished dragging into the shade. It would keep for a day there.

The two men staggered over the cliff, and she grinned. She might be weak, but right now she was in better shape than those two. The smaller one lay panting on the sandy ground, while the larger one crawled to the shade before letting himself drop. She brought the canteen to both of them, and they swallowed the water swiftly.

When they finished, she tossed it over to the shelter, too lazy to go fill it. She watched them catch their breath, then the giant got up and breathed the fire to life, something that still amazed her. He gestured to the fish, and she tore a good-sized piece off, enough to feed them.

He took it, then wiped the cooking rock off with a casual brush of his hand. He lay the piece of fish on it, cutting it into thin strips. She sniffed the air, scenting the cooking fish, then curled up, half-way in the shade and half out. The smaller man came and sat near her, and she growled his name-sound quietly before slipping into sleep.

When she woke, the fire was dwindling and the sun was almost down. She lifted her head slowly and yawned, then became aware of something next to her. She turned her head and saw that the smaller man was sleeping with his back against hers, and the giant was asleep leaning against the cliff, close enough so that her legs were almost entangled in his.

She looked at them curiously, then shifted so that the smaller man's side became her pillow and her legs touched the giant's. The smaller man mumbled something, and she nuzzled her face into his ribs before falling back to sleep.

Before the dark overtook her entirely, she noticed that the giant stretched his legs so they met hers more firmly. She felt like she was in a pack, and for the first time ever, she felt safe and at peace.

When Kakuzu woke, the stars were in their midnight positions, and the girl had shifted so that the three of them became a single entity. Her head rested on Hidan's stomach, he had rolled over in the night, and her legs twined with his. One of her hands twitched restlessly, and he shushed until it quit.

Her arms were wrapped around one of Hidan's, who had one of his hands buried in her hair. Mentioned brown hair spilled over her shoulders, a tangled mess.

Kakuzu finally noticed the sharp pain in his back as the cliff pressed against him, and he gently moved himself so that he could lay down without disturbing them. He prepared to go to sleep again, and the girl rolled over, head resting on his stitched chest, right over his hearts.

He looked down at her, startled, then wrapped an arm around her. Her arms wrapped around his chest, and she shifted her legs so that they brushed Hidan's. He rolled over again, twisting their legs firmly, then lay still. Kakuzu felt the girl's breath against his skin, and his fingers hesitantly brushed her hair. He wasn't used to contact. Most people tended to avoid him, and he couldn't blame them. He looked dangerous, so people tried to get as far away as possible.

Telling himself that the girl only wanted to be warmer, and that was why she was using him as a pillow, he settled back to sleep.

He dreamed of the girl.

The girl rose again, pleasantly comfortable sleeping near the two. She was used to pack life, and this was more like a pack than she had felt in a long time. Pack members slept together, using each other as pillows, not caring if the one beneath your head was alpha or not.

She lifted her head slightly, trying to figure out how to get out of the mess without waking the others. She noticed she had changed positions during the night, so that the giant was now her pillow. The smaller man shifted slightly, and she saw her chance.

She quickly wiggled out, trying not to disturb them, then stood looking down at them, victorious. She grabbed the canteen, then leaped silently down the rocks, heading to the river. She filled the canteen at the river, then set it aside so she could hunt. She stalked into the brush, waiting for an animal to come drink. A raven karked, and she looked up at it.

It was looking at her shrewdly, watching her. She whined softly at it, and the raven tilted its head. It karked again, then took off, the girl following. She followed it closely, knowing it would lead her to food eventually. It started circling in the air, and the girl settled into her crouch. She slid forward, listening intently.

Soon, the sounds of nibbling betrayed the location of a fawn. She could smell no signs of the mother, so she continued her hunt. It was newborn, maybe two days old. She prepared to pounce. There was no room for sentimality in this world.

She sprung, grabbing its head. It vainly tried twisting her off, but her strength won out. Her hands forced its head up, and her teeth tore at the soft skin, blood welling out. It bleated out plaintively, but the mother didn't come. She was too far away to hear.

The fawn lay bleeding to death on the ground, and the girl stood, watching for signs of rival predators. When nothing came, she picked up the still-living fawn and began bringing it back.

She carried it up the cliff, raven still following her. It was waiting for its side of the bargain. She flung it to the top, then crawled up after it, ignoring the shocked sounds of the two up there.

They examined the fawn, curious, and when it kicked out, they realized it was still alive. The girl reached down to tear a piece off, but before she could the giant had weird threads come out of him and snapped the deer's neck, looking disgusted. The smaller man looked sick, and she ignored them both. Her hands tore a fist-sized piece out of the neck, and she tossed it up to the raven, thanking it for leading her to the food. It dived down and caught it, then flew away, karking.

The men growled something at her, and she looked up, curious. He looked slightly angry, gesturing at the deer. She looked at it, then picked it up and held it to him, thinking he wanted it. He shouted and knocked it out of her hands, startling her.

She flinched away, nervous, and slunk to the edge of the plateau, cringing away from his anger. He realized he was scaring her again, and sighed. He growled some more at her, the tones peaceful, and held out his hand in apology. She watched him warily, then crawled toward him.

She expected him to hit her again, but he just handed the deer back to her, walking away. She looked after him, but her stomach won out and she snarled suddenly and buried her teeth in the warm, dead flesh. She was hungry. Fish didn't last that long in your stomach.

The smaller man watched her, disgusted, then went down the cliff, striding through the forest. Her gaze followed him as she chewed a piece of the tender meat, then she swallowed. She bent her head down for another piece, and when she looked up again, he was gone.

She watched after him, then realized she no longer had an appetite. She looked down blankly at the deer, then rose. The giant was standing tensely near her, and she turned to him with a questioning growl. His shoulders were hunched, and he inhaled deeply before turning to look at her. He looked at her sadly, then turned again and walked away, heading toward his stuff. He gathered it together, and she watched him blankly, mind not wanting to comprehend.

He carried all his stuff to the edge of the cliff, then began climbing down. She watched him dumbly, and it was only when he arrived at the bottom did she bound after him.

She followed him, whining plaintively, not understanding. He suddenly turned, glaring and growling at her, purposely trying to scare her. She flinched away, whimpering, and his hand froze in mid-swing. He looked at her, then sighed angrily and turned away, starting to walk.

The smaller man came up to them, growling a question to the giant. The giant answered him, and the smaller man looked shocked. He looked quickly at her, then growled again at the giant. He growled back, a no-argument answer, then began walking. The smaller man looked sadly at her, then followed.

She let them get a few yards away before her mind started working again. She rushed after them, desperate. She couldn't be alone, not anymore.

She caught quickly up to them, and the giant swiftly turned around and hit her. She fell limply to the ground, mind dazed. The smaller man yowled angrily at him, and he responded unemotionally back.

The girl shook her head, seeing double. She staggered back to her feet and followed them again. The giant turned to hit her again, but dropped his hand and continued walking. It was only when the smaller man went to hit her that she stopped.

She stared after them, pleading with whatever gods existed that this wasn't happening. They continued walking off, and when they were only small dots on the horizon she lifted her head and howled, the ragged sound tearing through her throat like flames. Her dog came up to her, whining, and she pushed him away.

She turned blindly and ran, not caring where she was going or what would happen to her. She was alone again, something she had promised to herself would never happen again. Her feet carried her swiftly through the forest, tears leaving hot trails down her face. Her throat burned, her lungs heaved, and she didn't care. She was alone, all alone. First her mother had left her, then the people she had rescued. What was the point of living when you were destined to be alone your entire life?

The girl collapsed sometime around sunset, body giving out. She had no idea where she was, nor did she care. There was no sign of her dog, meaning he had left her too.

She tried howling again, but her air-starved lungs wouldn't let her. The tears had stopped flowing, only because there were no more left to cry. She lay there limply, feeling the chill of night beginning to settle over her body. And she still didn't care. She was alone.

Alone.

"Kakuzu, is that her?"

Kakuzu listened to the raw howl, trying to tell himself that turning back would be useless.

"Yeah…"

Hidan sighed. They were both silent, lost in their thoughts.

"Do you think she'll be allright?"

"How am I supposed to know, Hidan?!" Kakuzu snapped. Hidan shrunk back.

"Sorry….", he murmured. Kakuzu sighed and kept walking. They had a long way to travel, and the sun was starting to set.

The girl found herself near some of the noisy one's dwellings, feet dragging. Her stomach was growling, her throat was sandpaper-dry, and she still didn't care. However, she knew she had to take care of her body, so she slid up to some shiny bins in the middle of the night.

Her fingers clumsily undid the clasps, and the lid rattled noisily to the ground. She flinched, but continued. Her fingers brushed against some old lettuce, and she snatched it up, swallowing after barely chewing.

A light flicked on above her, and she heard an angry shout. She whirled and ran, knocking the trashcan over. She ran as fast as she could on her shaky legs, then dropped down as soon as she entered the forest.

Her stomach cramped angrily, and she doubled over and panted in pain. She vomited her meager stomach contents, the acidic material burning her throat. She trembled for a bit, then rose. She needed water.

She found a puddle, and a sniff told her the water was safe to drink. She lapped it up eagerly, rinsing the taste of bile out of her mouth.

When she finished, she lifted her head, water dripping from her mouth. She sniffed the air, more out of habit then anything, and immediately regretted it. The vile smells assaulted her nose, and she quickly made a face and stopped scenting the air.

With a quiet sigh, she turned and started walking. Maybe if she was lucky she could find her camp?

When she had walked for hours, the sun starting to peak over the earth, she found her trail. Yipping happily, she followed it. She didn't need anyone else. She had lived alone for years, and she didn't need anyone now.

Yet as she told herself that, the hollow pit in her stomach clenched, forcing her to drop to the ground. She whimpered through the pain, eyes tearing. Trying to tell herself it was only food poisoning, she growled and rose. On unsteady legs, she continued walking.

The duo sat, cold and shivering.

"Damn it, Kakuzu, why can't we have a fucking fire?"

"Because we don't want to be found, that's why. Besides, it's not that cold out."

His shivering betrayed to both what a lie that statement was. Teeth chattering, they sat on the damp ground, huddled together.

"Kakuzu?"

"What now?"

"Do you think she's alright?"

Kakuzu sighed.

"She's survived without us before, she can do it again. She's tough. Try to sleep. Dawn's a few hours away."

The girl paused. There were noises up ahead, ones she didn't recognize. She peeked around the brush, chin brushing the ground, and watched.

There were more of the masked ones, examining the washed up bodies of their brethren. They muttered angrily to themselves, pointing fiercely at the slash wounds the scythe had left. With a final command, a male rose, and they took off, in the direction of her camp.

Where they would find the trail of the two men.

Remembering how they hadn't wanted to be discovered before, she snuck around them, running as soon as she was clear. She had to warn them.

She ran on, long strides eating up the ground. She had to warn them, and she could hear the faint voices behind her. She could run faster if she wasn't trying to hide her trail, but that would be just as easy to follow as the men's.

She breathed evenly, but swiftly, as she ran. Pacing herself was just as important as speed. If she had to rest, the masked other's would gain ground. However, even her body couldn't last forever.

She staggered to a stop, bending her head down over a small stream. She swallowed the cold water quickly, then sat for a few minutes and tried to gain her breath. When she felt she could run again, she rose. She hadn't eaten in two days, but she had gone longer than that before. She could live.

Resuming her lope, she took off again, refreshed. She should be able to catch up to them by that afternoon. After all, how far could an injured man walk in a day?

She kept running, knowing she had to warn the two. If they didn't want to be found, they wouldn't.

"Kakuzu, do you hear something?"

Kakuzu bit back an angry response. He was hot, miserable, and thirsty. He did NOT feel like dealing with Hidan's whiny voice.

"No, I don't hear anything. Now, will you kindly SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"

Hidan jerked his head back, startled, then childishly turned his head to the side and pouted. Kakuzu sighed.

"What did you think you heard?"

"If you don't want to fucking listen to my voice, then I'm not fucking talking to you."

Kakuzu waited. Sure enough, Hidan kept talking.

"I could have sworn I heard someone following us."

"How close?"

"Quite a ways back. They were crashing through there like a bat out of fucking Hell. I don't hear it now, though."

Kakuzu listened. Being caught unawares would really suck right now. It was quiet for a while, except for Hidan talking to himself of course, then the crashing resumed. Kakuzu got out a kunai.

"Hidan, be ready."

Hidan nodded and got out his scythe, facing the noise. Whoever was stupid enough to follow them was dead now.

He dropped his kunai as the girl crashed through the bushes. Hidan dropped his scythe as well, and they both stared in shock at the panting girl in front of them. She looked calmly up at them, then issued a single, breathless, quiet "Uff."

Kakuzu paled. He knew that sound. It was the same sound the dog used to tell her something. It was a warning.

She looked back behind her, then sounded it again. Shit. They were being followed.

"Kakuzu, what the fuck is she saying?"

"We were followed. Hidan, get ready to attack. We can't evade them."

Hidan nodded and picked his scythe up off the ground. Kakuzu nodded to the girl, showing he understood, and she turned around and started walking away.

"Kakuzu, where the fuck is she going? Is she just leaving us here now?"

"She's going to go hide. She fights by ambush. She'll attack from behind when they confront us." At least, I hope she will, Kakuzu thought.

The girl leaped into a tree, hiding herself among the lower tree branches. She lifted her fingers slightly up, then dropped them. Kakuzu smiled. She was going to help.

Whoa, wait, since when do we need help? Kakuzu thought. We can handle ourselves. Still, he knew that she would be a considerable asset. No ninja could know how to combat her fighting style. And besides, they were weak. Help would be appreciated, if only to make up for Kakuzu's infirmity.

It was then he noticed how thin and sickly she looked. Through the tears in her clothing, her ribs stuck out and her joints made sharp angles. Wow, Hidan was right. She wouldn't have survived the winter.

More noises sounded through the underbrush, and the birds went silent. The two stood, waiting, prepared to strike.

Three squads of ANBU appeared, looking startled. Apparently, they hadn't expected the two to notice them. A male stepped forward, looking at them disdainfully. The girl crouched, preparing to spring, but Kakuzu signaled her to stay put by lifting two fingers off his leg and holding them there, suspended in the air. The girl waited for his signal.

"Akatsuki, will you surrender?"

Hidan snorted.

"Yeah fucking right. Did you honestly expect us to give up when you caught us?"

"No, but now we can say we gave you the chance when we bring your heads into the village."

"The only heads that will be missing are gonna be yours, bitches."

"So be it."

The head ANBU scratched his ear, apparently thinking they were too stupid to recognize that as a signal. Kakuzu sighed. Why did everyone always underestimate them?

Two men leaped out behind them, and Hidan calmly turned and lopped one in half while Kakuzu snagged the other one with his threads, not even looking behind him. He snapped the neck, then threw the body at the rest, trying to ignore the weakness that overwhelmed him when he did that. He still couldn't control his threads without effort.

"Really, how stupid do you think we are? Did you seriously think we wouldn't notice the signal?"

Still, Kakuzu kept his two fingers held slightly off his thigh, waiting, and the girl held herself still. She knew timing was important just as well as he did.

Without warning, half the ANBU launched themselves forward, and they parried kunai and scythe against katana and sickle.

Kakuzu held off three on his own, still not giving the girl the signal to attack. His threads each held kunai, slashing and blocking with minds of their own. One of his opponents went down, and another dropped when trying to shield the remaining one. Hidan only had one of his four remaining, not even bothering with a ritual. Really, when your opponent would only last long enough to scream once, what was the point?

Kakuzu finally managed to find an opening through his enemies attacks, and his threads disarmed him swiftly while his hands slipped a kunai in between two of the ribs, finding home in the heart.

The second wave attacked without warning, and before they were two steps away from the tree Kakuzu finally signaled.

The girl leaped forward, silent and dangerous. Her practiced hands quickly grabbed the shoulders of the leader, and she bit out his throat before he could utter a sound. Her feet braced themselves against his back, and she leaped off his falling body, hand hooking around a kunoichi's neck and swinging herself around to place her feet on her stomach.

The female had enough time to look at her assailant, surprised, before the girl snarled and snapped her head forward. This time, the ninja had enough time to scream.

Her allies turned around suddenly, startled, and the girl launched herself straight up off the dead body, a wraith. She flipped herself backwards, agily landing on her feet next to Kakuzu and Hidan.

She stood calmly on all fours at Kakuzu's side, blood dripping in a river from her jaws and sprayed down her front. Her eyes seemed to glow eerily, and even Kakuzu was startled. She seemed a lot more dangerous than when they had left her.

The ANBU looked at her like she was a summoned demon, eyes wide. Hidan predictably grinned.

"So, do you like our new pet?" he said, waving his arm at the girl.

"What the hell is that?" the ANBU asked, voice quivering.

Hidan didn't answer, and just grinned maniacally. Oh, he was going to have fun. Kakuzu found himself strangely relieved. He had almost no juice left, and the second wave was always stronger than the first. And the girl could obviously hold her own.

One of the ANBU got over her fear and quickly set down a scroll, summoning a giant wolf. The black form emerged from the smoke, shaking its head. Kakuzu tapped the girl's shoulder, and she looked up at him. He pointed at the wolf, and she nodded. That was hers.

She launched herself forward with a surge of power, and Kakuzu had to laugh. If she could handle an angry bear, a giant wolf would be no problem.

Her teeth fastened themselves around the wolf's muzzle, and it jerked its head back. Her teeth lost their grip, tearing through the skin. She flipped herself to her feet, and resumed her attacks. The other ninja sprang forward to attack Hidan and Kakuzu.

They fought fiercely, Kakuzu earning a gash on his thigh. From the corner of his vision, he could see Hidan drawing his symbol on the ground. Great, that left more for him.

He turned his head slightly, and he could see the girl leaping around the wolf, sustaining wounds of her own. Its jaws caught her foot, and her hands slashed its eyes, forcing it to drop her. However, he soon had to turn his attention to his own battle.

A naginata stabbed toward him, and he dragged another into its path, effectively killing one. A red scythe swung out and snagged its owner, and a new battle for Hidan began. He preformed the Iron Skin technique, knocking a red-headed kunoichi unconscious. He could kill her later.

A poof of smoke blew across the field, and the girl attacked from the side, catching another one of Kakuzu's foes. Hidan gave up his ritual, deciding to just kill them. His god would be pleased either way.

Kakuzu saw a bright flash behind him, and turned in time to see a katana stab through one of his hearts.

His eyes widened, and he slowly fell forward, feeling the familiar blackness that always occurred whenever he lost a life. He dimly heard a snarl, and through hazed vision, he could have sworn he saw the girl's eyes glow.

Things started swirling around him, and black whip-like things started swirling around the girl. They lashed out everywhere, severing branches from trees and separating limbs from bodies. Yet, even though they seemed uncontrolled, Kakuzu noticed that not a single one touched either him or Hidan…

When all the enemies were torn to pieces, the girl's eyes stopped glowing, and the whips flickered and vanished. She blinked once, then fell forward, eyes closing. Kakuzu still hadn't prepared another heart to take over yet, so he had no choice but to remain still, facing her.

Hidan rushed over, then turned between the two, not sure who to look after first. Thankfully, Kakuzu started regaining feeling, and he staggered to his hands and knees.

"Look after her", he ordered, voice hoarse. He had 'died' before. It was nothing new to him.

Hidan nodded, then kneeled beside her. He picked her up, then brought her over to Kakuzu.

"I'm not the medic, dumbass. You're going to have to take care of her."

Kakuzu groaned. All he wanted to do was sleep!

"Allright. Bring her here."

He focused what little chakra he had into his hand, then ran it over the worst of her wounds. They flowed partially shut, but he wouldn't be able to heal them completely in his current state. Hidan, of course, had to open his mouth.

"Does this we can keep her?"

"She's not a dog, Hidan. And YOU'RE telling Pein."


	5. Chapter 5

The girl opened her eyes, trying to see through the blurriness by squinting. She didn't know what she had done to kill all of the masked ones, but she did know it had almost killed her.

A shadowy figure appeared to her left, and she turned to it, snarling weakly. The figure stopped moving, as if startled, then growled irritably back. The girl stopped growling and smiled. That was the smaller one's voice! She apologized, trying to lift her head, and immediately wished she hadn't.

Pain rippled through her sides, and she screamed and fell backwards. She panted weakly, eyes squeezed shut. The smaller man growled some comforting noises to her, holding something above her head. He squeezed it, and water dripped into her mouth.

She swallowed it thankfully, suddenly thirsty. He repeated the action several more times, until her thirst was sated.

She lay back, breathing shallowly as to keep the pain to a minimum. Another voice sounded beside her, low and grouchy, and she turned her head, ignoring the twinges. She grinned in greeting to the larger one, who had walked into the poorly made shelter. He smiled back, then turned back to the smaller one, growling something quietly. He responded angrily back, as if out of patience, then stormed out.

The larger man came and sat near her, hands idly playing with her hair. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the unfamiliar sensation, a new experience for her. He growled something, but from the tone she knew he wasn't speaking to her. He was just growling to himself, and the girl listened peaceably to the soothing tones. She could feel herself slipping under, and she gladly fell asleep.

When she awoke again, it was considerably lighter outside and the pain was less. She managed to lift her arm, and looked curiously at the rough black stitches. When had those gotten there?

The smaller man came in with the limp form of a rabbit in his hands, and was delighted when he saw her awake. He danced lightly over, tossing the horribly maimed body to her. She bit back a laugh at the obvious 'skill' they must have used to kill it. It looked like one of the noisy one's dogs got to it. Still, it was food, and she wasn't complaining.

She brought it to her face, then bit into it, feeling the familiar sensation of blood sliding down her throat. She had absolutely no idea why the others cooked their meat. The blood was better than water.

She savagely tore strips off, swallowing them without chewing, just letting the smooth pieces glide down her throat. Almost half the rabbit was gone before she was finally sated.

She put it to the side, feeling sticky blood run down her neck, and smiled in thanks to the smaller man. He grinned back, reaching over to wipe some blood off her neck, sticking the bloodied finger in his mouth. He licked it clean, grinning oddly the entire time. She watched him curiously, wondering what on earth he was doing. When the blood was gone, he laughed and again danced out of the shelter. She watched after him, then lay her head down. What a strange human.

She lay still, then she started falling asleep again. Oh no, she wasn't sleeping again. She had slept enough.

She rose to all fours, whimpering as unseen knives stabbed her, then took a step towards the entrance. She steadied herself, then continued onward. She emerged into the bright sunlight, squinting at the sudden brightness. She shook her head, then saw the two men's backs were to her.

Grinning, she kept going, staying as quiet as possible. When she had gotten close enough so that she was slightly behind and in between the two, she snarled viciously, putting all her effort into the sound.

She should have just stabbed them. They jumped up, tripping over each other and falling to the ground. She chortled happily, and the smaller man started shouting angrily at her.

The larger one merely held up the silver thing, and flashed it at her. She growled in annoyance, and he smiled in revenge. They were even now. She smiled back, accepting the fact, then curled up in between the two, panting happily in the warmth of the fire. The smaller one still grumbled unhappily, but it was easy to ignore him.

They all sat, enjoying the afternoon and the fire. Another rabbit was roasting on a spit above the flames, and the rich smells wafted toward her nose. She sniffed it delicately, the yawned and put her head down, ignoring the flashes of pain.

The larger one put out another of those weird thread things and turned the spit, while she watched curiously. He noticed this, and showed her how the thread emerged from his skin, one with him. She still was curious, and he detached his hand, much to her amazement. Her eyes opened wide, and she barked. Again!

He rolled his eyes while the smaller one laughed, then put his torn and ragged sleeve back down over his arm. The girl growled in disappointment, then laid her head back down, back against the giant's thigh and legs against the smaller ones back. She blinked drowsily, then felt herself fall asleep again, much to her disgust.

She woke again at sunset, and the two men were just getting their rabbit off the spit, arguing with each other as they struggled to cooperate. They finally managed to take it off, and laid it down on a bunch of large leaves. They also had a fetish about not letting their food get dirty. Really, dirt was edible.

They peeled off legs, biting into them and eating them with gusto. The larger man noticed her awake, and ripped another leg off the rabbit and put it on the ground in front of her. She looked at him, then put her head down and started eating. She was hungry beyond reason. Even if that meant eating cooked food. It was good in moderation, but too much was too much.

She peeled the flesh off quickly, devouring it before the others had even ate half of there's. They looked at her oddly, mouths hung open in surprise. She looked back, self-conscious but ignoring it. She was hungry!

She started feeling drowsy again, and growled softly in annoyance. Was she only going to sleep all day!

The giant noticed this, and laughed quietly. The smaller one growled a question to him, and the giant responded. The smaller one laughed as well. She just snorted and turned away, then yawned to her embarrassment.

They laughed again, and the smaller one rose and picked her up. She snarled and resisted, but the giant growled back until the smaller one set her down on a padded bed. She grumbled unhappily, and he laughed and laid the giant's torn coat over her. She continued grumbling, but she quickly fell asleep.

She woke again sometime during the night, seeing stars through the patches of the roof. Really, they shouldn't try making a shelter unless they knew what they were doing. Well, at least it wasn't raining.

She shivered a bit, then turned her head. Well, no wonder she was cold. There was a nice hard frost on the ground. She shivered lightly, and something against her moved. She turned, and saw the smaller man.

The shelter was small, so when they slept, they were all touching each other at some point in time. She snuggled herself closer to the giant's warm side, burrowing herself more under the coat over her. The giant stirred, then one of his hands reached over and grabbed said coat, drawing it slightly over him as well.

She tilted her head thoughtfully, then moved around, hissing quietly in pain, so that he was holding her with the coat over him, effectively keeping both warm. The smaller man frowned and moved so that his back was against the giants, and they were all comfortably warm that way.

The girl blinked drowsily, then turned her head into the giants arm and slept.

Kakuzu woke with the first bird-calls of dawn, opening his eyes irritably at the light. He sighed, then started rising. Before he could even lift himself slightly off the ground, he noticed the warm body in his arms.

He looked down at the girl, startled. He then noticed the cloak over him, and thought 'Oh. She was keeping both of us warm this way.'

Something moved against his back, and he turned his gaze to Hidan's small form. Hidan was shivering, cloak over him. His teeth rattled, and Kakuzu was struck by an idea.

He moved the girl slowly, trying not to wake her, and put her in Hidan's arms. He latched around the new source of heat, and Kakuzu laid his cloak over the both. The girl frowned lightly, then turned her head so that Hidan's arm was blocking the light from her eyes. There, that made both happy.

He stood and exited the shelter, cringing as his shoulder brushing it caused the whole thing to rattle. Okay, maybe copying the girl's style of shelter making hadn't been the best decision.

He stood outside, wondering what to do. Hidan had caught the food yesterday, so maybe he should try today.

He started walking to the small creek they had found, eyes open for any signs of food. Let's see how good Kakuzu is at hunting.

After an hour and three missed tries, Kakuzu gave up. He now had a healthy respect for the girl's hunting ability. He had no idea that animals could hear that good! How were you supposed to sneak up on them when they heard you coming from a mile away?!

His eyes spotted something moving, and he quickly stopped moving. A small rabbit crawled from the brush, eyes squeezed shut. Kakuzu soon learned why. Bloody scratches ran across the skull. Well, it seems that this one had lost a fight.

Kakuzu's threads ran out and caught it, snapping the neck. He dragged it back to him, and he felt a sudden surge of pride. No wonder why the girl had howled when she had caught the deer.

He brought it back to the camp, breathing the fire to life again. He ripped half the rabbit off, putting it to the side, then put the rest on the spit. There, breakfast would soon be ready. His mind suddenly turned to bacon and eggs, and his mouth watered. Base would be a really good idea. He was tired of all these bland foods.

He heard noises coming from the shelter, and he turned and looked in. Hidan was rising as noisy as he usually did, waking the girl. She raised her head and growled grumpily, and Hidan looked down in surprise. He suddenly grinned, looking out to Kakuzu. Maybe leaving her with him wasn't a good idea. Now Hidan would think she had chosen to sleep there.

She yawned, then looked around as if confused. She saw him, then rose and trotted out, growling a good morning. She didn't copy his greeting, but kept her own. Maybe it had just been a miracle when she had understood their names.

She walked over to him, peering over his shoulder, watching him sharpen his kunai knives. He pushed her gently away and pointed to the raw half of the rabbit, which she flung herself on as soon as she saw.

She devoured it hungrily, ripping noises coming from the flesh as it tore. Kakuzu could feel himself turn green, and he turned away. She really was a slob when she ate.

Hidan followed her out of the shelter, stretching happily.

"Morning, Dumbass!"

"Hmm."

"Where's our food?"

Kakuzu merely pointed to the food, trying to get the points sharpened without breaking them. Hidan shrugged and walked over, poking the rabbit with his finger.

"Is it done yet?"

"Does it look done?"

Hidan shrugged again, walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a piss. Why, do you want to come?"

"Stop being so obnoxious. Get ready to go. We're leaving after breakfast. We might get to base tomorrow night if we travel fast."

Hidan groaned.

"We still have that far?"

"Yes. Now get moving. The food should be done in a half hour."

Hidan growled and walked off, finally leaving Kakuzu with some peace. He put the sharpened knife down, picking up another one. Why pay someone else to sharpen your knives when you can do it yourself?

The girl reached over and nudged the knife with her finger, bored expression on her face. She had nothing to do, so she entertained herself by poking sharp objects. Predictably, she cut her finger.

She yowled and yanked her hand back, sucking on her hurt finger. Kakuzu sighed and pulled it out of her mouth, examining the wound. It was a good sized scratch, bleeding freely. He wrapped some scraps of cloth around it, tying it in place.

As soon as he released her hand, she pulled it back and started tugging at the cloth. He growled at her and pulled her hand away, making her stop. She glared at him, and he glared back until she looked away, and yanked her hand out of his. She grumbled unhappily, and he chuckled at her. She was so expressive about her thoughts.

Hidan came stumbling back through the brush, cursing at a vine that refused to let go of his foot. Kakuzu glanced up at the rabbit, then turned it so that the other side was facing the flames. It was almost ready.

Hidan flopped down on the ground next to him, asking, "What do you think Pein-in-the-ass is going to think when we come back so late?"

"I'll explain it to him. Besides, it's all your fault."

"How is it my fault?!"

"You were the one that attacked the bear, and then needed rescuing. Twice."

"That wasn't a fucking bear, that was a monster! Did you see its claws!"

"I did, and she felt them go across her back saving you. Again."

Hidan looked down, mumbling, "I didn't ask her to save me…."

"Yet she did, and she paid for your idiocy just as I did."

Hidan 'Hmph'd and turned away. Kakuzu poked the rabbit. Damn, it still wasn't done yet.

They sat silently, the girl curled up in the sun, purring lightly. Hmm, he needed a name for her. He couldn't just keep calling her 'the girl', or 'her', or Hidan's name for her, 'bitch'. Ah, he'd come up with a name later. The food was done.

The two of them pulled it off the spit again, using the same leaves as a plate. Kakuzu couldn't find a rock this time, so he had gathered some large leaves. Two or three of them could hold an entire rabbit.

They began eating their food, stomachs hollow. They weren't used to eating one meal a day like the girl was.

They finished quickly, and Kakuzu packed up while Hidan destroyed the shelter. The girl watched them curiously, then began digging a hole to bury the fire-pit in, nails raking furrows into the dirt. A few movements later, she had to stop.

She held her side, panting, then slowly lay down. She apparently didn't think she was that injured.

Kakuzu piled the gathered stuff together, not like there was much, and walked over to her. He had taken her healing cream, and was now opening the container.

She noticed this, and turned so that he could apply it without much hassle. He smeared the thick paste over her many wounds, most on her arms and back, but some on her thigh and stomach.

When he was finished, he closed it and continued trying to figure out a way to carry it. He folded his cloak up, then put the cream in between two of the folds. He packed his knives in similar ways, then tucked the package under his arm. Hidan came up to him, carrying his scythe and wearing his cloak, and nodded. Kakuzu nodded back, then signaled to the girl that they were leaving.

She stretched, then rose fluidly, despite her wounds. This was one of the few times she had ever stood near Kakuzu on two legs, so he just then noticed how tall she was. Her body was thin and lanky, balanced on the balls of her feet. Her knees were kept slightly bent, ready to spring at a moments notice, and her head was carried high, in the proud bearing of an alpha wolf. She was almost as tall as him, and taller than Hidan.

Hidan noticed this and frowned. She wasn't much taller than him, but it was enough to make a difference. Kakuzu laughed.

"What is it, dumbass?"

"Nothing, Hidan, nothing."

Hidan's frown grew deeper, and he turned and started walking. The girl followed him, and he brought up the rear. The frost was barely started to melt off the grass, and already they were on the move.

The girl considered asking to stop and rest, but she didn't want to slow them down. They might leave her again. Besides, she could go a little farther before her body gave out.

In the hours they had walked, they had changed order, so that the giant was in front, the smaller man second, and she was last. It wasn't like they put her back there or anything. She was just lagging behind.

She had reverted back to walking on all fours long ago, and her hands dragged in the dust as she panted. Her shoulder had stiffened up again, her wounds felt as if they were on fire, but most of all, she was thirsty. They had stopped a few times for drinks, but it had been awhile before they had found more water again.

The smaller man had given up complaining long ago, and now just dragged after the giant, who also seemed tired. The sun beat down on them, and they sweated out what little water they had.

Suddenly, the smaller man shouted and pointed in the direction of something. Both her and the giant turned there heads and looked, then stared. The smaller man had found water.

They quickly rushed over, and bent their heads to drink. Before she could start lapping up the water, however, the girl noticed a strange smell emanating from the pool.

She snarled and pulled back, dragging the others with her. The smaller man shouted at her, but she continued dragging and pulling until they pulled away from the water. They both looked at her for an explanation, and she tried to tell them that the water was bad. It was then she noticed the corpses.

She stared at them in shock, then turned their heads so that they could see them, too. They hung their mouths open in surprise, looking around at the bloated carcasses. Deer, moose, even a mountain lion here and there were all dead, poisoned after drinking the tainted water. The plain was a death trap, making the creatures so thirsty they forget to check the water their drinking.

The giant sighed sadly, then turned and started walking away. The smaller man looked at the water as if still considering it, but when she growled he sighed as well and turned too. She followed them, and they continued walking, keeping the sun to their right. The setting sun blazed angrily down at them as they traveled south, determined to kill them.

Hours later, with the sun barely above the horizon, the girl smelled something familiar. She stopped walking for a moment, sniffing the air, and the two turned back to her.

Her eyes suddenly brightened. Wild onions! They only grew in wet areas. And where they grew, there was sure to be water.

She yipped to the pair, then turned left and began running with all her might. They followed her, alarmed, but she ignored them and continued.

She ran right into the pool, water splashing up to her elbows, and one quick sniff told her the water was safe to drink. She bent her head and began gulping as much as she could, while the other two fell to their knees and dipped their hands in it, quickly bringing it to their mouths.

Frogs croaked in alarm around them while they gulped the water, determined to swallow the entire pond. When they were finally sated, the two flopped on the grass behind them while the girl crawled out and collapsed next to them. They panted for awhile, trying to catch their breaths, and then the two turned to her.

They spoke to her in tones of extreme gratitude, and slight awe. She panted and watched them, then stretched her body painfully. The giant got the hint, and snagged the cream with his threads and brought it over. He opened it tiredly, then spread the cream on her stitches. She inhaled sharply at the cold temperature, but the numbing effects took hold and she soon relaxed.

The giant looked to the sky, thinking about something. She followed his gaze up, and saw that the sky was clear. There was no smell of rain in the air, so she just curled up where she was, prepared to sleep. The others followed her example, taking their cloaks off and laying them over themselves. She got up and squeezed in between the two, stealing warmth. They both took the edges and laid them over her, and, laying like tightly packed branches, they slept.

The girl woke a few hours later, feeling refreshed. She rose and stretched, feeling the pain melt away. Good, she was healing.

She wiggled out of between the two, who immediately fell into the cavity she had left behind, backs touching. She looked at them, then turned to get a drink of water.

She lapped the cool liquid up until the dryness in her throat was gone, then turned and started hunting. They would be hungry when they awoke.

She hid in the reeds, waiting for an opportunity. If this was the only water for miles, food was sure to come.

A few minutes after she had become still, a little mule deer nervously approached the water. Hmm, they must have been further south than she had thought. Still, she settled into her crouch as she always did.

The smaller man chose that moment to wake up, grumbling as he always did. The deer looked up in alarm, and the girl was forced to spring before she was ready.

The deer started whirling around, and she sprung out then, low to the ground. Her hand stretched out to grab its hock, and her momentum swung her around, taking the deer's leg with her.

The deer fell to the ground, bawling, and she hurriedly picked herself up off the ground, ignoring the blood running down her sides. Some of the stitches had tore.

She leaped again, this time pinning the deer's head to the ground, and she quickly bit into its throat. She couldn't tear its throat out, it was too big, but she could suffocate it if she could hold on long enough.

The deer thrashed around, trying to shake her off, but it couldn't move well with her sitting on its head. It bawled and kept struggling, however, using up its oxygen even more quickly.

After about three minutes, the deer's struggles ceased. She could still feel a pulse brushing against her tongue, however, so she held on until that quit as well.

When the deer was dead, she released its throat, feeling her jaws ache. Throats were hard to keep collapsed. The smaller man walked over to her, looking impressed. He helped her drag the deer back to the other side of the pond, and frowned when he saw the blood running down her side and dripping onto the ground.

He woke the giant, who growled irritably at him until he finally roused himself. He looked and saw the girl, and looked at her with a flat expression. She apologized, dipping her head low, and he sighed and got up.

The thread-things came out of his wrist, diving in and out of her skin. Oh. So that was where the black stitches had come from.

He finished, then turned to the deer. It was small enough it would barely last a day, but they still had to travel. They could eat as much as they could now, and carry the rest with them to eat later.

The girl walked over and began eating, tugging the hide away from the meat. The giant again turned green, and she ripped a stubborn piece off. She chewed it slightly, then swallowed it, reaching down for another bite. The giant sighed and tore a piece off for himself, reaching into his pocket for something.

He struck the objects together, and sparks shot out. She watched in wonder as he quickly got a fire going, while the smaller one made a spit. They began cooking their meat while the girl ate hers, and they all watched the earth around them awake.

She finished eating long before the food was finished cooking, so she walked into the pond to clean herself off. She was covered in blood and dust.

Of course, her definition of bathing was a lot different than others. She rinsed herself off, thoroughly soaking herself, then climbed back out. She shook herself off, then flopped down on the banks, letting the sun dry her.

The two men rolled their eyes at her, turning back to the fire. One of the stitches on her arm was still stubbornly leaking blood, so she bent her head down and began licking the wound. The rhythmic motions emptied her mind, and she licked her wound with the simpleness of a dog.

The smaller man looked at her, and threw a piece of the now-cooked meat at her head. It bounced off, and she grumpily looked up, glaring at him.

He looked back with his mouth set. The giant growled a question at him, and he responded bitterly. The girl watched him, then ate the piece of meat he had thrown at her. Wasting food was never very intelligent.

They finished, and the giant rose first. He looked at the remaining deer, and looked at her. She got up and walked over, trying to figure out which parts were worth carrying. She had stripped the ribs and shoulders, while the men had taken the neck.

She frowned, then yanked the front leg out of socket, freeing it from the body. She did the same with the other leg, then turned to the hind legs. The giant already had them torn out, tying them together with a strange, shiny string. He added the front legs to the bundle, then lifted it up. It was only about 20 pounds of meat.

They drank their fill of water, and began walking again. The sun was barely over the tree line, and already the day was sweltering. With the giant in front, they walked on, heading towards a distant forest line.


	6. Chapter 6

"Kakuzu, are we there yet?"

"Does it look like we're there yet?!"

Kakuzu growled, eyes stabbing daggers at Hidan. He just huffed and looked away, looking angry. Of course, when you had been walking in the hot sun for hours and knew you still had hours to go, that would make you angry too.

The girl grumbled at them, shouldering her way past them to continue walking. They both sighed simultaneously, and followed. The sun was directly above them, and the meat was starting to smell. Kakuzu considered stopping to eat it, but they were traveling slower than what he had anticipated. They might not reach base until the next day. Which would suck.

When he passed a familiar landmark, he thought, 'To hell with it. We're close, and I'm tired of carrying this shit.'

He dropped the legs, and the girl looked back at him, slightly startled. He ignored her, and just started a fire with the flint and steel in his pocket, using some of the dry brush as tinder.

The fire started quickly, and Hidan was already in the process of making a spit to cook it on. The girl sighed, and took one of the legs to eat herself. She tore strips off, blood flecks speckling her face.

"First thing we need to do is teach her table manners, right Kakuzu?"

"Agreed."

They cooked the food, trying to make as much as possible. Whatever wasn't eaten now, they would leave behind. It wasn't needed anymore.

When they finished eating, they stood up to leave, ignoring the remaining leg. The girl looked frantically at them, then at it. Kakuzu ignored her, starting to walk. She picked it up herself, starting to carry it. Hidan growled at her and took it from her, tossing it to the side. She looked at him miserably, then hung her head and followed them. They walked.

"Psst! Pein!"

The pierced leader of the Akatsuki looked around, brow furrowed.

"We're in the bushes. Come here."

Pein looked slightly angry at them as he walked over.

"What is the meaning of this? First, you come back five days late, then you expect me to talk to you in the bushes? You arrogant-"

It was then he saw the girl, hiding behind Kakuzu's legs, looking at him fearfully.

"Who is that?"

"Pein, sir, we were late because Hidan decided to annoy a grizzly, and I had to go rescue him. Well, the bear had been stronger than I thought, because it almost killed me. She saved my life."

"So why did you bring her back here? You know I'd have to kill her anyways."

"I wasn't finished. We were almost discovered by ANBU squads twice, and she prevented our being discovered. We tried leaving her, but it was then she warned us of the second group."

"What do you want me to do? Give her a medal?"

Hidan snapped, "You let fucking Itachi keep a pet, so why won't you let us keep her!"

Pein glared at him.

"Hidan, remember your place."

He took a dangerous step toward Hidan, then was knocked back. He looked up in surprise at the girl from the ground, who was growling at him softly. She had shouldered him away from Hidan, protecting him.

Kakuzu paled. Why did she have to do that? Now there was no way they would be able to keep her.

"Kakuzu, why is she growling at me?"

"She can't talk. She's been living in the wild."

"And why did she protect Hidan?"

"She thought you were going to harm him. She's, ah, very protective."

Hidan meanwhile was patting her on the head.

"Good bitch!"

Pein rose from the ground and looked at her thoughtfully.

"Allright, you can keep her. Just remember that it's only because I'm curious about her."

"Yes, sir."

"However, I'm not telling anyone in the house about her. That's your job. Everyone is currently home. Enjoy."

He waved and walked off, leaving them by themselves. The girl waited until he was out of sight, then stopped growling.

"Why do you think he let her stay?"

"The only thing I can think of, Hidan, is that he wants to experiment with her."

"He can fucking try."

They looked at the girl again, then to the house. Oh boy.

The girl watched the strange, shiny man walk off, determined to protect the ones who had protected her. He had tried attacking the smaller man, but she had pushed him away.

She looked up at the others, waiting for their next command. This was obviously familiar territory for them, and she had no idea where she was. This was their command now.

They started walking towards a house, and she automatically tensed. She had been shot at too many times to not be afraid of them. Stiff legged, she followed them, keeping her head low and her belly scraping the ground, terrified.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shiny man watching her, as if waiting. She lifted a lip and growled at him silently, and he bared his teeth back. She would have attacked him, but they had reached the door, distracting her.

They inhaled deeply, then looked at her reassuringly. She tensed even further. Why were they bringing her inside? It was dangerous in there!

They opened the door with a click, and slowly pushed it open.

All eyes in the room looked towards the sound curiously, then looked with brighter interest at her. They started to rise and walk over, ignoring the giant's warnings. He stood protectively in front of her, but was pushed aside as they came closer to get a better look at her.

She backed further and further away, growling fearfully. She reached a wall, which she crouched against, wailing the giant's name. She had to get out, they were too close, she had to get out, get out, GET OUT!

She lunged forward, attacking in defense.

When Kakuzu and Hidan walked into the house, the seven pairs of eyes looked curiously at them, greeting them silently. Then they spotted the girl.

"Hey Kakuzu, what's that?"

"Did Pein let you keep her?"

"What's her name?"

"Back off", Kakuzu warned, seeing the girl back towards a corner, crouching defensively. They, of course, ignored him and went closer, pushing him out of the way.

"Where'd you find her?"

"Why is she growling?"

"Back the fuck off!" Hidan shouted. It was too late.

The girl, who had reached a wall, crouched and wailed Kakuzu's name, begging for help. They came yet closer, and-

"AAAHHH!!!"

Tobi, who had extended a hand toward her in friendship, yanked his bleeding hand back, screaming. The girl took advantage of the confusion and bolted in between everyone's legs, running to the door. She reached the door, and sprinted out it, not looking back.

Kakuzu rushed after her, trying to calm her down, but by the time he reached the door, she was already at the forest line, yelping in fear. He stared helplessly after her, dimly hearing Hidan cursing in the background.

She was gone. She had left so quickly.

Gone.

Hours later, after they had explained the situation to everyone, Kakuzu and Hidan went outside, looking for her. Itachi joined them, which was odd, considering he was the only one who hadn't approached her in the beginning. Still, his eyes would be useful in the dark.

Calling out to her, they searched the brush, worried. What if she had run away, too afraid to stay with them any longer?

"Kakuzu, I found her."

Kakuzu sighed with relief at Itachi's quiet voice, then rushed over. Itachi merely pointed into a tree branch, where the girl sat, shivering, eyes wide in shock. Seeing Kakuzu had the situation under control, he turned and quietly left.

"Hey, it's just me. Come here, no one's going to hurt you", he crooned softly. The girl looked at him, then slowly started crawling down the tree, ready to bolt back up at a moments notice.

She reached the bottom without incident, then rushed over and pressed herself against his legs, shivering and whimpering. He knelt and held her, until she stopped.

She looked up at him and apologized, though Kakuzu couldn't figure out why. Hidan came around the corner of the house and saw them. He rushed over, grabbing her and holding her tightly.

"Thank Jashin you're allright."

"Hidan, let's bring her in. Go ahead and warn everyone that she's coming in."

Hidan nodded and left, and the girl looked after him fearfully. Kakuzu waited a few minutes, then rose as well.

"Come on, no one's going to attack you again."

The girl followed him, keeping close enough so that her shoulder was constantly brushing his leg. Kakuzu bit back an angry shout and kept walking. He walked in the door, and the girl hesitated briefly before following him in.

Everyone looked at them again, but remained sitting. The girl watched them cautiously as Kakuzu led her to the stairs, towards his and Hidan's shared room. He started climbing, and she paced back and forth uncertainly at the bottom. Kakuzu realized that she had never seen stairs before.

She looked up at him, then leaped, just as she would if she was trying to climb a cliff or something similar. Jumbled rocks? No problem! Trees? Sure! A sheer cliff? Just give me a moment! Stairs? Impossible.

Her fingers brushed the edge of a step, then lost their grip. She fell forward, hitting her chin, then rolled backwards down the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, she leaped to her feet, predictably throwing a yowling/snarling/hissing fit.

She snarled loudly, yowling and hissing at random intervals. The watching people laughed, and she snarled viciously at them, too. Kakuzu couldn't help himself. Before he could stop, he let out a small snort.

The girl looked up at him, hurt. He composed himself, then climbed back down the stairs.

"Come on, up the stairs. It's not that bad. You take it one step at a time."

He showed her, and she uncertainly climbed the steps, ignoring everyone's laughter. She made it to the top, and turned to glare at them one last time before following Kakuzu again.

He led her to his room, opening the door for her. She paused before entering, but she sniffed the air and walked in. She slunk slowly in, looking around her. He flicked on the light, startling her.

She leaped back, knocking into a bookshelf. It rocked precariously back and forth, and she leaped away, diving under his bed.

Kakuzu steadied the shelf, then crouched down to peer at her. The dust invaded his nostrils, and he sneezed before he could look at her properly.

She looked back with wide eyes, scared. She had been introduced to too many things at once. She needed time to take it all in.

He smiled reassuringly at her, then stood up again. He grabbed a book off the shelves, then sat on Hidan's bed. He opened the page, then began reading, staying where she could hear him.

He heard her shuffle around a bit, probably trying to get comfortable, then a soft sigh that signaled she was about to sleep. He smiled to himself, reading where he had left off a month ago in the book. Without realizing it, he fell asleep himself.

The girl stayed still under the bed, keeping her senses alert. She didn't feel safe here. This world was full of too many angular corners, nothing natural looking. The only reason she had entered the room was because it had smelled like the two men.

The giant's soft snores told her he was asleep, and she stayed still. If something found her, he wouldn't be able to protect her if he was asleep. She didn't trust anyone here, only the giant and the smaller man. The others were too invasive.

The door clicked open again, and she tensed, stilling her breath. However, when the smaller man's voice sounded out, she sighed with relief.

She wiggled around a bit, poking her head out from under the bed. She smiled at him, and he looked down at her in surprise. He looked at the giant man, then growled and climbed onto the bed above her, making the bed springs creak loudly. She burrowed her way back under the bed, sneezing to clear dust out of her nose.

The smaller man hit something sticking out of the wall, making it go dark in the room. She yelped in surprise at the sudden darkness, and she heard a groan above her. A hand flopped down off the edge of the bed and dangled in front of her face. She sniffed it, then curled back up and fell asleep, despite her wishes to stay awake.

She woke again at early dawn, the same time she woke every day.

Making sure there were no others hiding in the room but the ones she knew, she wiggled out from under the bed, crouching cautiously. A few sniffs told her no one was hiding in the closets, and she paced around, not sure how to open the door. The other two slept on, and she found herself very bored.

Looking around the room, she spied the switch that had operated the lights.

Her eyes lit up, and she danced over to it. Her hand reached up and flicked the thing upwards, turning the light on. The two men stirred, but that was all.

She pulled the switch back down, making the lights turn off. Delighted with her new game, she continued.

Footsteps walked by the door, and seemed to pause as the owner saw the light going on and off under the door. The footsteps continued on, apparently deciding not to get into it.

The girl continued flickering the lights, delighted.

On!

Off!

On!

Off!

Finally, the two men rose, growling grumpily. They looked around, as if not sure where they were, then they looked at each other. Seeing the other there, they looked with flat expressions towards the girl, who was still playing with the light switch.

They watched her, expressions unreadable, then the giant sighed and rose. He walked over to her, grabbing her hand and pulling it away from the switch. She finally noticed him then, and turned her head to grin a good morning.

He glared at her, and she shrunk under his gaze. He pointed to the switch, and shook his head. Oops. She wasn't supposed to play with it.

She grinned in apology, and he sighed and released her. He walked over to a desk, pulling out a pencil and some paper. He handed them to her, and showed her how to use the pencil.

She looked at it wondrously. The stick was leaving marks on the white-leaf things! Seeing she was entertained, he walked back over to his bed, falling back into it. He pulled the pillow back over his head, and went back to sleep.

The smaller man growled grumpily at her, then followed the giant's example. She ignored him. She was having too much fun with the stick!

She scribbled on, not caring what her designs looked like. This was new to her. With a single grumpy motion, the giant had introduced her to art.

She scribbled on the paper, tossing the sheets to the side when they were used up. Eventually, she ran out of paper.

Looking around, she rose again, heading over to the giant. She growled at him, and he waved her away, groaning. She pulled away, then decided to find more paper on her own.

She walked over to the desk, looking at it curiously. She tugged on a drawer handle, but it was locked. She frowned, then moved onto another one. This one opened.

She looked at the paper inside, frowning. These were smaller than the other sheets, and were green (Uh-oh…). Still, she couldn't find any other paper, so she shrugged and pulled some out. She brought it over to her corner, and started scribbling on it, tossing it aside when she was finished, just like with the other sheets.

The smaller man rose a while later, yawning and stretching. He looked casually in her direction, then froze, eyes wide. He stared at her, then quickly said the giant's name.

The giant just grumbled, wanting to sleep longer. The smaller man said his name again, not removing his gaze from the happily drawing girl. The giant finally looked up, grouchily asking the smaller man a question. The smaller man said nothing in reply, and just pointed at the girl.

The giant followed his gaze, and saw the girl, who was just getting a new sheet of the 'paper' to scribble on. His body completely froze, not even breathing. The smaller man looked at him in alarm, eyes wide in shock. The girl finally noticed they were awake, and danced happily over.

She frowned when she noticed the giant not moving, and she walked over to him, growling questioningly. He started shaking, as if trying to hold himself back, and the smaller man quickly grabbed her and pulled her away.

He tugged her away, opening the door and pulling her out with him. He shut the door, locking the giant inside. He looked down at her, expression afraid, then slowly started pulling her away from the room, keeping as quiet as possible. She looked back at the room, curious, then shrugged and followed the man. Maybe he was going to feed her.

He brought her back to the stairs, and started heading down them. She frowned at the top, walking back and forth, uncertain. Finally, she put a hand on the step, starting her descent. In order to get down the stairs without falling, she had to rush, but she made it.

She grinned in victory at the smaller man, who still seemed to be in shock. He just walked by her, heading to a new room.

Inside, a red-haired boy looked up from the table. She didn't remember seeing him last night, so he must have been new.

He looked at her, expression one of bored curiosity, and asked the smaller man a question. The man replied in a quiet tone, and the red-haired boy looked up at him, looking slightly concerned. He asked another question, and the smaller man told him something short before heading to a giant white thing.

He pulled out a plastic container full of a white liquid, grabbing a bowl and a box. He mixed the stuff together, putting it on the floor for the girl. She sniffed it uncertainly, but the rich smells told her it was safe.

She bent her head and lapped some up, making a surprised noise at the taste of the white liquid. It was delicious! The little bits floating around were allright, but the liquid was the best.

The smaller one sat down at the table, starting to talk to the red-haired boy while she ate her first bowl of cereal.

When Hidan had rose, everything had seemed allright. Until he looked over to the corner and saw her scribbling on Kakuzu's money.

He froze, not sure of how she had gotten a hold of the money, but knowing what Kakuzu's reaction would be. Oh shit.

"Kakuzu", he said quickly, trying to wake his partner up. His partner just groaned, staying asleep.

"Kakuzu", he said again.

"What?" Kakuzu asked grouchily. Hidan said nothing and just pointed at the girl. Kakuzu growled and followed the finger, until his eyes landed on the girl.

He froze. Hidan watched the girl, who seemed to have just noticed they were awake. She pranced happily over, not knowing how much shit she was in.

She noticed that Kakuzu was being unusually still, and growled questioningly as she walked over to him. Kakuzu started shaking in rage, and Hidan yanked her back.

He pulled her with him out of the room, keeping a watchful eye on Kakuzu. He was about to snap.

They made it to the door unscathed, and he softly opened it and pulled the girl out, shutting it behind him. Kakuzu remained still, eyes on the ruined money.

Hidan quickly and quietly walked down the hall, dragging the girl with him. Kakuzu needed space right now. He didn't know exactly how much money the girl had ruined, but he knew it was at least enough to cover his paycheck for a year.

He started walking down the stairs, while the girl paced uncertainly at the top. Finally, she rushed down the steps, grinning at Hidan at the bottom. He ignored her and continued into the kitchen, noticing Sasori.

Sasori looked down at the girl, bored, and asked, "Is this the new pet Deidara told me about?"

"Yeah."

Sasori looked up sharply at Hidan. He had just answered without swearing.

"What's up?"

"Hold on a minute, I need to feed her."

Hidan got out the milk, grabbing Cheerios and a bowl while he was at it. He made a bowl, then put it on the floor. Sasori watched in disgust as the girl started lapping it up like a dog, making a surprised noise at the taste.

Hidan sat down at the table across from him, holding his head in his hands.

"She is such a fucking pain. She woke up this morning, and decided to play with the fucking lights, because she was bored, waking us up. Kakuzu gave her a pencil and paper to play with, and we went back to sleep. But no, she had to figure out a way to screw that up too."

"She was the one playing with the lights this morning?" Sasori asked, gaze flicking down to rest on the thin girl, who was in the process of licking her bowl clean.

"How'd you know?"

"I walked by your room earlier."

"Yeah, that was her."

"How did she screw up drawing?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Well, apparently she ran out of paper this morning, and tried to find her own. Kakuzu keeps his desk locked, so she tried all the drawers until she found one that opened. You can guess where this is going, right?"

"The unlocked drawer…. Oh, shit. The one that Pein told him to keep unlocked, so he could pay our salaries?"

"That's the one. She took out at least an entire year's worth of money and decided to scribble on that."

"Does Kakuzu know?"

"Yeah. He almost fucking killed her before I managed to get her out."

They both looked at the girl, who was growling at her reflection in the oven window. She crouched, then lashed out with her hand, shattering the glass.

She yelped and skittered back, hiding behind Hidan's legs and peering around them.

"See what I fucking mean!"

"Kakuzu is going to be so pissed."

"I'm worried about Pein."

"Where did you find her?"

"She rescued Kakuzu from a bear. I guess that's why he didn't kill her immediately. Hey, get the fuck away from that!"

The girl looked at Hidan, about to pull down the toaster. She watched him, then growled and walked away from the cord. She looked around the rest of the kitchen with interest, making Sasori nervous.

"Hidan, get her out of here before she ruins something more valuable than the oven."

"Smart idea."

Hidan dragged her out of the kitchen and into the living room, and Sasori watched them go in disbelief. This was going to be interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

Kakuzu sat and stared at the pile of ruined money, fuming. How had she managed to get into it?!

He sighed, then got up and started cleaning the mess. Well, some stores might still accept it, if he told them that there was a two-year old at home. He put the money in a separate area, then groaned and flopped back down on his bed. First thing he was doing was buying something to keep her entertained in the morning. He might be spending money, but he figured it would save money in the long run.

The rest of the house started waking up, and he heard muffled shouts of surprise as they reached the kitchen. Damn.

He rose and walked out the door, trying not to shatter the doorknob. They still needed that.

He walked down the steps, and the first thing he noticed when he entered the kitchen were the worried looks everyone gave him, along with them edging away. The next thing he noticed was the shattered oven.

He stopped moving. Everyone suddenly found somewhere they needed to be, leaving him alone in the kitchen. Or at least, he was alone for a while.

The girl poked her head in, saw him, and shouted, "Kakuzu!" happily as she scampered in. She ran right up to him, chittering happily. She might not have an idea of what she did wrong, but right now, he was ticked.

However, his anger melted away as she said his name again. She had no idea what she was doing, and it's not like he told her she couldn't touch it.

He sighed and slowly sank down to the floor, putting his forehead on his knees. She laid down next to him, back against his hip. He reached down with his fingers and rubbed her neck, trying to de-stress himself.

Hidan fearfully peaked his head around the door, and saw that Kakuzu was calm.

"Oh, good, you've calmed down. I just came to warn you that Pein's coming downstairs."

Kakuzu's head snapped up.

"Hidan, take her up to our room and make sure she doesn't ruin anything else. I'll try to explain this to Pein."

Hidan nodded and grabbed the girl's arm, dragging her to her feet. She growled grumpily, but allowed herself to be brought along. Kakuzu got to his feet, pinching the bridge of his nose. Who knew that such a small girl could be that much trouble?!

Pein walked into the kitchen, and stopped when he saw the ruined oven.

"What happened to this?!"

"The new pet accidentally broke it."

"How do you break something by accident?!"

"She slipped."

Pein growled.

"I know you're lying, Kakuzu, but right now, I have other things on my mind. I'll let it slide this time, but you have three days to get the pet trained."

"Yes sir."

Kakuzu scooted out of the kitchen, into the living room. Sasori looked up.

"How did Pein take it?"

"He's letting it slide this time. I'm going back upstairs."

He turned and walked dejectedly back up the stairs. What could go wrong now!

He opened his door and entered the room, then stood still. Hidan was reading his bible, while swirling a mechanical pencil around on a piece of paper at the same time, and the girl sat at his feet, purring.

"Hidan, what are you doing?"

"She likes the sound of a mechanical pencil writing."

"How'd you figure that out?"

"I started writing, and she started purring. She won't let me stop."

"How is she not letting you stop?"

"Watch, and I'll fucking show you."

Hidan purposely dropped the pencil on the desk, and the girl looked up and snarled at him. He picked it back up and started swirling it around again, and she put her head back down and started purring.

"See?"

"Can this get any weirder?"

"I don't think so."

Kakuzu groaned for what seemed the hundredth time that day and sank onto his bed. He listened to the whistling sound of the pencil on paper, then stood up abruptly. Hidan dropped the pencil in surprise of his partner's sudden movement, and hurriedly picked it up again when the girl growled at him.

"Kakuzu, what the fuck!"

"I'm going to town. I thought of something that will keep her behaving."

"Good luck with that."

SNAP!

The both of them were silent as they stared at the broken pencil.

"Shit."

The girl growled and snapped at Hidan's leg, which he hurriedly yanked out of reach. He stood up quickly, rushing to the other side of the room. The girl ignored him and looked up on the desk, sniffing sadly at the broken pencil. Kakuzu rolled his eyes.

"Of all the things she has lost, she mourns a pencil."

"Get going already! I'm tired of keeping her entertained!"

Kakuzu picked up the ruined money and put it in his pocket, heading for the door.

"Make sure she behaves, and take her outside for a bit. She probably feels cooped up."

He shut the door behind him, then headed downstairs to go out the front door. He opened it, ignoring Tobi's inquiry of where he was going. He shut the door behind him, then started walking down the road.

He reached the town about two hours later, heading immediately for the toy store. There had to be something in here that would keep her busy in the morning, and not make noise.

Everyone gave him odd looks in the store, but he found what he was looking for. Perfect.

He paid at the front desk, and thankfully the money was accepted, then headed out the door, 1000-piece puzzle in hand. That should keep her occupied.

He walked by an appliance store, and looked casually in the window. Hmm, the oven was broken, and these were on sale….

He entered the store, determined to find out how much "on sale" the ovens were. What he discovered pleased him. The store was cleaning out old stock, so all appliances were 70% off. He paid for the cheapest oven there, and even though they gave the bills an odd look, they did accept them. They said they would have it ready the next day, so they would have to pick it up then. Kakuzu agreed, then left. Maybe going to town wasn't such a bad idea after all.

He walked back, entering the front door around lunch-time. Banging came from the kitchen, and when Kakuzu walked by, he saw Konan cooking. He told her about the new oven, making her day, then headed upstairs. Time to teach the girl how to use a puzzle.

He opened the door, and saw a very angry Hidan and a snoozing girl.

"What did she do this time?"

"She didn't do anything, it's what that Pein-in-the-ass did."

"What did he do?"

"He won't let her go outside unless we get her a fucking collar!"

Now, you might think of a dog collar. Well, that's basically right. The Akatsuki definition of a collar was anything that went around the neck, which Pein would then put a jutsu on, preventing the wearer from leaving a certain area. If it was removed by the wearer, it would kill them instantly.

"Where does he think she's going to go?! She can't even talk!"

"That's what I told him! He didn't fucking listen!"

"Joy, now she's stuck inside. She is going to be hell."

"What the fuck did you get her?"

"Oh, I got her this", he said, pulling the puzzle out of the bag. "I'm going to have to teach her what to do, but it should keep her busy."

"1000 pieces? Don't you think that's a little much?"

"If it will keep her quiet in the morning, then no."

"Good point."

He walked over to the girl, poking her awake. She roused herself grumpily, looking at him through half-closed eyes. Kakuzu shook the puzzle in her face, and her head snapped up. She rose from the bed, curious. He opened it with his threads, then dumped the pieces on his desk. He started putting some of the pieces together, showing her what to do. He then pointed to the picture on the cover, and she looked from that to the many pieces on the desk. It clicked in her brain, and she began putting it together.

"There, that should keep her busy. Now let's go downstairs. Konan's cooking lunch."

They dragged the reluctant girl away from the puzzle, and led her downstairs. Tobi wailed when he saw her, but she did nothing more than look at him when she walked by. They led her into the kitchen, where her eyes immediately locked onto the pot on the stove.

She began stalking toward it, sniffing the air, and Kakuzu caught sight of her just before her curious hand reached it.

"No!"

She looked at him, then slunk away from the stove. Konan watched her.

"Wow, I thought Pein was exaggerating when he said she was like a two-year old."

"I wish. She has messed up so many things today."

Konan knelt in front of her, and she backed cautiously away.

"Can she talk?"

"She's learned Hidan's name and mine. That's it."

Konan looked at her, then pointed a finger at herself.

"I'm Konan." The girl looked at her, then at Kakuzu. He sighed, then began the name learning process.

He pointed to himself, said his name, pointed to Hidan and said his name, then pointed to Konan and said her name. She watched the entire process, and her eyes lit up when she understood.

She pointed at Konan, and said, "Konan."

Konan blinked in surprise. "That was fast."

"She's not stupid. She understands quite a bit, just not what we're saying."

"How did you communicate with her?"

"We compromised. She growled in different pitches, and I suppose my voice sounds the same to her. Hand signs work the same way, so we can communicate at a basic level."

"She saved you from a bear, right? Why did she save you?"

"I don't know. I can't remember the attack, just before and after. Before, Hidan was annoying a bear, and after, I was all alone with her stitching my wounds."

"Where was Hidan?"

Kakuzu paused.

"Actually, where were you, Hidan?"

Hidan looked at the floor and mumbled something. The girl frowned and walked over to him, growling questioningly, as if trying to comfort him.

"I went to go look for a medic to kidnap. I couldn't find one, and when I went back for you, you were gone. I figured the bear had eaten you, so I went to go kill it. Happy?"

Konan and Kakuzu looked at him in surprise, and Hidan looked down. The girl churred and tilted her head to the side, studying Hidan's face. He looked down at her, then sighed and lifted his head to meet their eyes.

"I was worried, Jashin damn it. If you can't deal with that, I don't care."

"Hidan?"

Hidan stopped walking away, then turned back.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. You may have failed horribly, but you tried."

"No problem…" Hidan muttered.

Konan suddenly clapped her hands together, making everyone in the room jump.

"Allright, that's enough emo-ness for one day, and we still need to deal with Itachi. Come on, let's eat lunch. Is she going to want any?"

"I fed her breakfast, so probably not."

"What does breakfast have to do with anything?"

"She only eats about one meal a day. Of course, that meal would usually be raw rabbit, but you get the picture."

"Ew, that's gross! Did she really eat raw meat?"

"She preferred it to cooked."

"Ew, stop talking about that! She is not eating raw meat in here, and that's final."

"She's stuck inside anyways, so you won't have to deal with it."

"How is she stuck inside?"

"I refuse to put a collar around her neck."

"Oh, I see. I made mac'n'cheese, so if she wants some, feel free to give it to her."

Konan made her own bowl and walked out of the kitchen, presumably to her room. Hidan and Kakuzu looked at the girl, who didn't seem hungry in the least, as she was currently sneaking up on a fly. Wow, she really was bored.

They made bowls for themselves, sitting down at the table to eat it. Deidara walked in, and the girl quickly scurried over to hide under the table near Kakuzu's legs.

"What's her problem, un?"

"She's afraid of you."

"Oh."

Deidara got a bowl for himself, sitting on the opposite side of the table. They ate silently, and others eventually straggled in. They didn't notice the girl, as she was hiding, and ate like they normally did: Hidan and Deidara bickering, Itachi silent while Kisame attempted to hold a conversation with him, and Tobi hyper as usual. Zetsu came in quietly, and sat near Tobi, holding a quiet argument with himself. Under the table, Kakuzu could see the girl looking fearfully at every new person that came in, shaking against his legs. He finished, rising and forcing the girl to crawl out from under the table to follow him.

All conversation in the room stopped as they watched her, curious but remembering her reaction the night before. When she realized that they weren't going after her, she relaxed. Kakuzu walked into the living room, and the girl followed, laying down at his feet when he reached the couch. Unless he was mistaken, tonight was movie night.

Sasori was already there, scrolling through the cable channels Kakuzu was forced to pay for. He looked mildly up at her, then turned his attention to the titles flashing by. Realizing he didn't care about her, she gathered her courage and approached him.

When she was close enough to touch him, he looked down at her, surprised. Kakuzu watched her closely, making sure she didn't do anything wrong. She growled a quiet question, and Sasori looked to him for a translation.

"I have no clue. Try telling her your name."

Sasori raised an eyebrow, but did as he was told. To his surprise, the girl copied him.

"Shashurri." The 's' sounds weren't right, and the 'r's were growled. But other than that, it was an exact copy.

He raised an eyebrow, then turned again to Kakuzu.

"She likes you. Don't ask me why."

Kisame had just come into the room then, with a sullen Itachi in tow, and blinked at her.

"Did she just say Sasori's name?"

"Yes."

Kisame kneeled down, and said, "I'm Kisame."

She looked at him fearfully, then looked at Kakuzu. He sighed, then pointed at Kisame and said the name for her.

"Kishamee."

Itachi blinked, then approached her. Curious as to what the weasel was doing, they watched.

"Itachi", he said, looking at her. She watched him curiously, then tilted her head to the side.

"Tashi."

Kakuzu shook his head.

"No. Itachi."

"Tashi."

"I. Ta. Chi."

"Tashi."

Kakuzu was about to correct her again, but to his surprise, Itachi said, "It's allright. She's not used to the sounds."

"You're okay with her calling you Tashi?"

"Until she learns to speak properly."

The weasel stood and left, leaving a bewildered Kisame looking after him.

"What was that about, Kisame?"

"I have no clue. Could be she reminds him of Yuki."

"Who?"

"His old pet."

"Oh yeah, I remember her. What happened to her, anyways?"

"She got up to get a midnight snack, and Zetsu did too, unfortunately. He decided that fresh meat was better than what was in the fridge, and you can guess the rest."

"Poor girl."

"Itachi didn't talk for weeks afterwards. He really liked her."

"Hmm."

Deidara walked into the room then, and Sasori motioned over to him.

"Deidara, tell her your name. I want to see how she says it."

Deidara blinked in confusion, but looked at the girl and did as he was bidden.

She furrowed her brow in concentration, and said, "Deidrrra-un."

Everyone cracked up. Deidara turned red, and the girl tried again.

"Deidarrra-un."

"Well, it's better than the first try."

"True."

"Screw you guys, un!"

Deidara stormed off, while everyone laughed. The girl had thought that Deidara's speech impediment had been part of his name. It had been an honest mistake, but it was still funny as hell.

She watched them laugh, cautious, but when she realized that they meant her no harm, she curled up and laid her head down, dozing lightly. They watched her, amused, then turned their attention back to the TV. Sasori had just found a comedy to watch.

Hidan flopped down on the couch next to Kakuzu, startling the girl, but when she realized it was only him, she put her head back down again. He patted her head, then watched the movie along with the rest.

The girl slept, comfortable with the people around her.


	8. Chapter 8

Kakuzu watched Hidan and Itachi fight over what movie to watch, ready to strangle them both. Seriously, how hard was it to decide on a movie?

Deidara watched them, then glanced down at the girl. An evil grin spread across his face, and Kakuzu watched him cautiously.

"Hey, Kakuzu, didn't you say she was protective of you?"

"Yeah…."

"Just how protective of you is she?"

"Why?"

"I'm curious."

"She's protective enough to attack Pein. Again, I repeat, why?"

Deidara ignored him, turning his grin to Hidan. In a flash, he yanked a knife out of his pocket and stabbed it into Hidan's leg. Hidan yelled and spun around to attack Deidara.

Kakuzu was aware of a furious growl next to him, which erupted into a full-blown snarl as the girl launched herself off the ground. Kakuzu reached out with his threads and grabbed her, yanking her back. Deidara jerked himself back as well, but her teeth still clicked together a mere millimeter from his throat.

The girl had been dozing happily when she heard the suspicious tone of the giant's voice. She raised her head and watched the blond one carefully, but when he didn't do anything too threatening, she put her head back down. She didn't feel good.

However, when the smaller man yelled in pain, her head snapped up. She saw the blond one removing his hand from the knife buried in the smaller man's thigh, and rolled to all fours to attack him, growling. While he still was pulling away, she launched herself at him, teeth striving for his throat. She felt something wrap around her, yanking her back. Her teeth clicked just short of his soft flesh, the giant's threads holding her from the killing bite.

She struggled against the threads, desperate to avenge her comrade. The blond wailed and hid behind the red head, cowering from her snarls. She thrashed toward him, teeth snapping together. The giant growled at the blond, who skirted around her and bolted up the stairs, his fear-scent everywhere. As soon as he was out of her sight, she turned and growled a concerned question to the smaller man, who just laughed and patted her on the head.

She shook her head irritably at him, snorting. Of course he was allright. She pushed him off a cliff and he had been fine, hadn't he?

The red head asked the giant a question, who answered lightly back. The smaller man turned angrily to them, shouting loudly. She ignored them and laid back down again, feeling sick to her stomach. Her head felt like it was spinning around her.

She snarled and yanked herself against Kakuzu's grip, trying to reach Deidara. The blond skittered to his feet and away, swearing under his breath. The girl ignored Kakuzu's warning tone of voice and continued trying to reach Deidara, straining to kill him. Within three seconds of stabbing Hidan, Deidara was trying to shelter himself behind Sasori, who was looking down at him irritably.

"Brat, that wasn't very smart."

"Danna, she's trying to kill me!"

Hidan was laughing on the floor, leg still bleeding. The girl lunged again towards Deidara, eyes red. Saliva dripped to the floor as she snarled, shaking with the effort of pulling against Kakuzu.

"Deidara, hurry up and go upstairs. I can't hold her forever."

Deidara yelped and skirted around her, avoiding her teeth, and ran up the stairs. The girl watched him, snarling, until he left her sight. The second she couldn't see him, she stopped growling, turning instead to the laughing Hidan. She whimpered, concerned, and he patted her on the head.

"Good girl, bitch!"

She looked at him, then snorted and turned away.

"What was that snort about, Kakuzu?"

"She's probably wondering why she's concerned."

"Why?"

"She pushed him off a cliff when he annoyed her last time."

"Who would have thought that she would have the guts to do that."

"Wait, so I didn't trip? And you let me fucking think I did?!"

"I could have just watched you fall and did nothing."

"That is what you did, you fucking dumbass!"

"Oh yeah."

"Could we please pick out a movie? I'm bored."

"Yeah, yeah, Itachi, we're getting to it."

"I still think we should fucking watch Land of the Dead", Hidan stated, temper tantrum forgotten.

"Why should we watch an old horror like that? I want to watch My Bloody Valentine."

"I'm not watching a movie with a shitty-ass name like that. We're watching Land of the Dead."

"My Bloody Valentine."

"Land of the Dead!"

"No."

"We are watching Land of the Dead, you fucking weasel!"

"What did you call me?" Itachi's eyes flashed dangerously. Hidan paled.

"Uh, I didn't mean it, Itachi, really."

"You called me a weasel. Do you know what happens to people who say that to me?"

They were startled when the girl's voice rang out in a warning tone.

"Tashi."

They looked toward her, startled.

"Did she just say Itachi's name?"

"It was a fucking warning, asshole."

They looked at her, watching her curiously. She observed them back, eyes bright and annoyed. She shook her head and said, "Tashi."

"She's telling you not to do anything. How does she know…?"

"We keep telling you, she's not stupid. She understands a lot."

"I didn't think it was that much."

"She's just as intelligent as the rest of us." Kakuzu paused, seeing Tobi trying to stick a spoon on his nose. "Maybe more intelligent than some of us."

"If Tobi's an example, then yes."

"Anyways, we're watching Land of the Dead."

"Hidan, we are not-"

"Oh for crying out loud, just pick a movie already!" They all looked at Kakuzu. Hidan took advantage of Itachi's distraction and popped his movie into the DVD player, ignoring Itachi's glare when he plopped down onto the couch. He grabbed the remote and started up the movie, leaving Itachi no choice but to watch it, unless he wished to anger the miser. He sighed and sat in his normal chair, and they watched the previews while everyone wandered in.

They all sat in various pieces of furniture, and the girl lifted her head and watched them cautiously every time. However, when they did nothing, she went back to sleep. Kakuzu watched her, something tickling in the back of his mind. Something seemed wrong, but he couldn't quite figure it out. It was something about her attacking Deidara….

He shrugged it off. If it was important, he could figure it out later. Besides, the movie was on. Surprisingly, the girl did nothing more than watch the TV screen briefly when it started up. She didn't attack it or anything, nor did she seem to find it interesting. That was odd….

Kakuzu noticed Hidan also watching the girl, and wondered what was wrong that he couldn't figure it out. However, Hidan just shrugged it off as well, and Kakuzu turned to the movie again. He could figure it out later.

When the movie finally ended, Itachi having fallen asleep, they all rose and stretched. Deidara hadn't even bothered coming down, which meant Sasori would have to tell him about the movie.

Kisame picked Itachi up and carried him upstairs, while the others did nothing at this strange sight. When Itachi had fallen asleep on the couch a few years back, Kisame had left him there. When Itachi had woken up, the sharingan-wielder had been angry. Kisame had to suffer for it, and now carried the Uchiha to his bed. Even if Itachi woke up, that anger would be better than enduring the Uchiha's anger at being either woken up or left. So it was just a matter of survival for the shark.

Kakuzu nudged the girl with his foot, rousing her. She lifted her head drowsily, then yawned and stretched. She heaved herself off the floor, then padded after him. He led the way up the stairs, and she climbed them slowly, again awakening that tingling in the back of his mind.

He watched her carefully, and he realized that she wasn't walking in a straight line. It wasn't much of an eccentricity, but it was enough to make him realize something was wrong with her. As she stumbled into the room, he went into the bathroom, searching for the thermometer. Having never been used before, the thermometer sat dusty in a corner of the medicine cabinet. He plucked it out, rinsed it off, and brought it to her.

He held it to her, and she looked at it oddly, eyes glazed. He popped it into her mouth, and she immediately spit it back out, making a face. He growled and shoved it back in, holding her mouth shut. She glared at him, and he glared back until two minutes passed. He was pulling it out of her mouth at the same time Hidan walked into the room.

"Dumbass, what are you doing?"

"She was stumbling earlier. I'm seeing if she's sick."

A look of comprehension flickered across Hidan's face.

"I thought something was wrong with her. If she hadn't been sick, Deidara would have been dead. Your threads shouldn't have been able to stop her lunge."

Kakuzu paused.

"Now that you mention it, yeah, that makes sense."

"What's her temperature?"

Kakuzu looked down at the little glass bulb.

"One hundred. Well, it's not too bad, but she is sick. I wonder how?"

"Who knows. Just give her some medicine or something and let's go to bed. I'm fucking tired."

Kakuzu shrugged and went back into the bathroom. He put the thermometer away, then grabbed some pink medicine. He poured a capful of it, then headed into the room. This was going to be fun.

He approached the girl, and something about his behavior must have set her off. She tensed up, and started crawling backwards away from him. He cornered her against the wall, and held the medicine to her. He made a motion that she should drink it, and she hesitantly took it from him. She sniffed it, and immediately handed it back to him. He shoved it back into her hand, growling. She watched him, and slowly took it back. As much as she was protective of them, she still remembered him hitting her. She sniffed the medicine again, made a face, and swallowed it. She gagged, but managed to keep it down.

Kakuzu took the cap from her and put it back on the bottle, placing it on a stand. She would need another dose in the morning anyways.

He went to his bed, and she crawled underneath it, again curling up in the dust. Kakuzu wondered why she chose to sleep there, but let the thought flow out of his mind. His body was still exhausted from the multiple attacks, and needed rest.

Mind vaguely concerned about the girl, he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

The girl stumbled groggily up the steps, feeling as if her mind was miles away from her body. The giant looked at her, and she tried hiding her weakness from him. He might leave her again if he thought she wasn't strong. She knew exactly what was wrong with her, too. It was the food. She wasn't used to the diet she now had to eat, and the richness of it poisoned her.

She lay down on the floor of the room, immediately closing her eyes. She heard the giant shuffling around in the room next to her, and the sounds of water running. His footsteps came back, and she opened her eyes to look at him. He popped something cold into her mouth, and she immediately spit it out. The giant growled, and shoved it back in, holding her mouth shut.

She glared at him. He glared back. They kept up the glaring match until he finally pulled it out, the smaller man entering the room at the same time. They held a short conversation, then the giant rose and walked back into the other room. The smaller man looked at her, seeming concerned, until the giant came back.

He was holding something odd smelling in his hand, and was walking towards her, posture indicating that he was going to do something she wouldn't like.

She tensed up and slowly crawled away from him, keeping her eyes locked with his. Eventually, though, she met a wall.

He took advantage of this, and shoved the thing into her hands, motioning she had to drink it. She sniffed it, wondering what it was.

She immediately tried giving it back to him. He could keep it. It didn't smell natural at all, and actually made her feel queasy. However, he just put it back into her hands, growling at her again. Remembering that he had hit her before, she made a face and swallowed it quickly. It tasted just as bad as it smelled.

The giant smiled his approval, and she just shot him a hurt look before crawling under his strange bed. He might like sleeping off the ground, but she didn't. The cramped space helped her feel safe in this new world she was stuck in, so she slept there.

However, what she really wanted was to go outside. She missed the feeling of grass under her feet, of blood running down her neck, and the sounds of birds. Now, the only birds she could hear were muffled, as if buried. It made her feel trapped.

Yawning, and hearing the giant murmuring above her, she fell asleep.

Kakuzu yawned, stretching. Early afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, landing on his face. He had slept well, and now opened his eyes slowly, waiting for the destruction he knew he would see. There was nothing.

He sat up fully, alarmed. The room should be in shambles now, with the girl there. However, a wheezing underneath the bed told him where she was.

He got out of his bed, and ducked down to look under it. The girl's face was sweaty and chalky, and she twitched spasmodically. Her breath wheezed through her mouth, and her lungs heaved.

Concerned, Kakuzu pulled her out, and her eyes flashed open, glazed with fever. She struggled against his grip, but he still managed to pull her out. She whimpered, and again tried twisting out of his grip. He held her securely, and walked to the bathroom. He set her down in the tub, and for a moment she just sagged against the cold material, shivering. Then she tried getting out of it, feet not finding purchase on the material.

Kakuzu brought the thermometer back to her, shoving it in her mouth and holding it there again. She weakly struggled against him, then gave up. He pulled it out after two minutes, and looked down at the temperature. Shit.

Her body temperature was 103.

He put his hand against her forehead, concerned, and felt the heat radiating off it. She had fallen back asleep, and leaned into his cool touch.

He picked her up again, and brought her to his bed, laying her down. He covered her with the blankets, then left the room. He knew there were antibiotics somewhere.

He wandered through the base, trying to think of where the medicine would be. Hmm, if anywhere, it would be in Itachi's room. He and the shark sparred often, which resulted in lots of nicks from Sameheda.

He rushed to their room, worried about the girl. She had saved their lives many times, and now he could repay the favor. Also, he just plain liked her. She was quiet where Hidan wasn't, and strong.

He came up to the Uchiha's room, and took a breath before knocking. He rapped on the door, and after a few seconds a grumpy looking Itachi opened the door.

"What is it?"

"Do you have any antibiotics?"

"Why?"

"The pet is sick. She has a fever", Kakuzu told him, gritting his teeth about calling her 'pet'. She didn't have a name, though, so he couldn't just say her name to Itachi.

Itachi watched him for a second, then "Hn'd" and went into his room. He came back a few minutes later holding a bottle in his hands.

"Do you need a syringe?"

"I have one. Origato, Itachi-san."

"Hn."

Kakuzu turned and walked quickly back to his room, wondering about Itachi. Why had the weasel given him the medicine so easily? He hadn't even bothered asking what he would get in return, though Kakuzu would rather let the girl be sick than pay Itachi a penny. Well, maybe he would pay a penny. Just nothing more than that.

He entered his room, and saw the girl still on his bed, with Hidan holding a wet compress on her forehead.

He looked up when Kakuzu entered the room, and growled, "Where were you? Her fever's gotten worse."

"I know. I got some antibiotics for her."

"What are you waiting for, dumbass?"

Kakuzu resorted to a glare as he walked to the bathroom, knowing there had to be a syringe somewhere. He rustled through the drawers, and finally found one. He yanked it out, and quickly put two CC's in it. She would need more by night, but that would be enough for now.

He walked back into the room, keeping a careful eye on her. Even sick and injured, she could still be dangerous. He remembered her attacking the bear when her shoulder had been torn open the day before by coyotes and winning. Even on the brink of starvation, she had managed not only to kill a summoned beast, but also seven ANBU on her own, and that was just that one fight. Who knew how she would react when he stabbed the needle into her arm?

He nodded to Hidan, who nodded back and pinned her arms to the bed. Okay, here we go.

He approached her, muscles tensed. He reached her, and paused. She wasn't stirring. Inhaling deeply, he stabbed the needle into her arm, pushing the plunger down, and jumped back, while Hidan also let go and moved himself. The girl opened her eyes and snarled, jaws snapping emptily in front of her. She continued her frenzied attacks for a few more seconds, then stopped and collapsed on the bed, trembling.

The two men waited until they were sure she had calmed down, then approached her. Hidan snatched the compress to re-wet it, and Kakuzu sat near her head, massaging the side of her neck. The neck was just as warm as the rest of her body, and the hair kept the heat trapped next to her skin.

Frowning, he lifted the matted brown strands away from her neck, allowing it to breathe. Hmm, something would need to be done about her appearance soon…. Her breath was horrible, though expected, and her hair was long and snarled. Her clothes really didn't hide anything anymore, as they were so shredded, and were not her size. Great, that meant he would have to go shopping for her. Hadn't she wasted enough money already?!

Even as he thought that, his hands remained gentle at her neck. He became aware of a slight vibration traveling through his fingertips, and paused curious. What he heard softened him.

She was purring.

Even through the fever, she had felt his touch and had thanked him for it by purring. Through the dry and raw throat the sound came, meant for his ears. Kakuzu listened to the sounds, and his two remaining hearts thawed a bit.

One of her eyes cracked open, and even fever-glazed, he could see the friendliness in them. She was in their hands now, and trusted them to care for her. Her eye slid back shut, and she drifted into a deeper sleep as Hidan put the compress back on her head.

They watched her sleep for a few minutes, then Hidan tuned to him.

"Kakuzu?"

"Hmm?"

"I've thought of a name for her."

"What is it?"

"Reni."

Kakuzu thought about it for a while, then turned to look back at her.

"Reni…. I like it."

**A/N: Reni means 'Brave lion'. Just thought you guys should know that. And everyone, thanks for reading and reviewing! It sure makes me happy when I see all those comments!**


	9. Chapter 9

The girl stirred in her fitful sleep, hearing something come towards her. Something pinned her arms down, and she held herself still. A sharp prick was felt, and she snapped up, trying to bite the snake that had struck her. The yellow viper coiled in front of her eyes, shimmering in the heat of the desert. Her arms were trapped under a rockslide, and the snake was waiting for her to die so it could feed.

It suddenly grew larger, eyes turning into windows. The mouth turned into a door, a rifle for a tongue. It hissed at her, surrounded by tropical trees. Now she was lying in a pool of quicksand, and the snake reared above her. It lunged toward her, and something blocked the attack.

A giant lion stood in front of her, a dark brown color. It roared, and the empty cliffs surrounding them shook. An eagle soared overhead, keeping a watchful eye on her, and snow covered the ground, draining the snake of its power.

The snake hissed violently, coiling again to bite the lion. Another animal pressed against her, and she turned her head to see a gray-brown wolf licking her neck. She leaned against her, watching the lion fight.

The lion grew threads, and stabbed through the snake with them, making it shriek in pain and slowly melt. The lion turned back to look at her, having done its job of protecting her, and its face was that of the giant's. He purred at her, and she purred back, feeling the tongue against her neck. It soothed her restlessness….

She blinked, and the lion was gone. The wolf was in front of her, blocking the draft from the entrance of the den. The blizzard howled outside, but she felt safe in the shelter. The wolf turned to look at her, turning into her mother at the same time.

Her mother opened her mouth, brown eyes soft, and said an unfamiliar sound.

"Reni."

The girl tilted her head, not knowing the sound. Her mother had never given her name, so she didn't know what this sound was.

Her mother smiled understandably, and said again, "Reni."

Using the language that the girl was more familiar with, her mother came up to her and nuzzled her, holding the girl's suddenly-young body close to her. She whimpered into her hair, apologizing. The girl focused on the moment, turning her face into her mother's chest. It had been so long since she had last seen her.

They held each other for forever, and as the snowstorm roared outside the shelter, a happy smile appeared on the girl's face.

The duo watched 'Reni' sleep, as she twitched slightly. Kakuzu started rubbing her neck again, and she calmed, breathing lightly. She inhaled sharply, as if surprised, then her breathing evened out again. She started smiling, and the two watched her, wondering what her dream was about.

Hidan stood slowly, face sad.

"Hidan, what's wrong?"

"She likes you best, Kakuzu."

"That's not true."

"It is. And you know what? I'm okay with it. I love her, but I think it's a different kind of love, like I'm her fucking brother or something. I feel protective of her, but that's it. She's yours, dumbass."

The language told Kakuzu Hidan meant it.

"Hidan-."

"Seriously, Kakuzu, I'm all right." He smiled and left the room, leaving Kakuzu to think.

He looked after Hidan, then looked towards the girl. She moved slightly, and he found himself automatically comforting her. His hand paused in mid-stroke, and he thought. He frowned, and firmly resumed his strokes. He had made up his mind.

When the girl woke again, it was dark. She was laying on something soft, and something was against her, helping to keep her warm. Her fever had broke, and now she shivered, teeth chattering.

She wiggled even more firmly against the source of heat, and the mumbles told her it was the giant. She tilted her head slightly, looking at his form from the corner of her eye. He stirred, and moved his hand until it pulled the blanket back up to her shoulder, as it had been pushed down in the night. Once it had been raised back up, the hand stopped moving, still resting on her shoulder.

She looked at the giant's peaceful face, then turned her head to sniff the hand. She licked it in thanks, and it twitched slightly. It moved again, until it was wrapped around her body firmly. The giant pulled her close, mumbling again, burying his face in her hair.

She held herself stiffly, then let herself relax against his hold. Remembering her mother's touch from her hallucination, she smiled and buried her face in his arm, going back to sleep.

Kakuzu opened his eyes into the early morning gloom, aware of the small form currently in his arms. The red and green eyes rolled down to look at her, and any cruelness that one might expect from the criminal's eyes were not there. Instead, a soft warmth filled them as he looked down on the sleeping girl.

He watched her sleep as the morning grew brighter, pleasantly aware that her fever was gone. She had had the high fever since the morning the day before, and it had broke sometime in the middle of the night. She seemed fine now, except for the fact that she was still as thin as before, and needed a bath.

He smiled at the thought. You would think she was a dog, from the way he was acting with her.

As he grinned, she stirred, opening her gray eyes. She looked around at the awakening world, then turned to look at him, eyes tired. She grinned when she saw him, then her eyes sank shut again. She lay still, then moved again.

With a surprising determideness, she opened her eyes again, keeping them open. She yawned, stretching, then started to rise. She staggered, unused to soft ground beneath her, and fell forward onto Kakuzu's chest.

They both froze, startled and afraid of angering the other. They slowly turned their gazes to meet each other's, then the girl grinned. She used his chest to push herself up, a firm surface, then dropped to the floor.

Apparently thinking she was stronger than she actually was, she fell onto her face, breaking her nose. She tried snarling in anger, but all it did was cause to blood to bubble faster out of her nose.

Kakuzu sighed and got up, walking to the other side of the room, where the tissues were kept. He wadded a bunch together, and held them against her nose, trying to stem the flow of blood.

After the bleeding had slowed, he pulled the tissue away from her face, replacing it with his hand. Focusing his chakra, he straightened her nose, while she flinched but held still.

The nose healed, straight, and he pulled his hand away. He looked at her, and frowned. She was still sick. The last time he had taken her temperature, it had been ninety-nine point five degrees. She needed rest.

He picked her up off the floor, putting her back on his bed. She struggled, as was predicted, but soon gave up and just pouted while he set her down.

He bit his lip to keep from laughing. Her personality was so wonderful.

He held up his hand to signal her to stay, then left the room after making sure she would actually stay. He exited the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen to get water for her. Hmm, he was still having trouble remembering to call her by her new name, Reni. Oh well. He might call her 'Reni' when talking to others, but he would still think of her as 'the girl' in his mind.

He filled a glass with cold water, then turned off the tap. Holding the glass steady, he walked back up the stairs, heading for his room. As he passed Itachi's room, the sharingan-weilder opened his door, then stopped, seeming surprised at seeing him.

"What are you doing awake?" he asked, onyx eyes looking at him.

"Her fever broke. I'm getting her some water."

Itachi's brow furrowed, and he tilted his head to the side.

"She had a fever?"

"That's why I got the antibiotics from you."

"You just said she was sick."

"Her fever was one-oh-three yesterday. Anything less, she would have recovered from on her own. She's tough", Kakuzu said, unable to keep the awe out of his voice.

Itachi looked at him, then "Hn'd" and walked away, heading to the kitchen. Kakuzu watched after him, confused, then just shrugged and headed into his room. Itachi could be weird at times.

He opened the door, looking toward the bed, which was, not surprisingly, empty. He growled a sigh, then turned his head to look around the room, searching for her.

He spotted her at the desk where her puzzle was, and she was frowning down at it. When she realized he was there, she turned and looked at him, head hung low in apology. He rolled his eyes, and she turned back to her puzzle, biting her lip in concentration.

Still holding the glass, he walked over, observing it. His eyes spotted a piece, and he lifted it up and put it in its place in the puzzle. She watched the hand, head cocked to the side, then yipped quietly in delight. Fingers quickly grabbed pieces from their respective piles, and she snapped them into place, completing a good-sized chunk.

She looked up from her puzzle, eyes thanking him for his assistance. She yawned, and Kakuzu remembered that she was still sick.

He handed the glass to her, and she sniffed the water cautiously, not trusting him after the medicine incident.

Deciding it was safe to drink, she quickly downed it, water running out the sides of her mouth. She finished it, gasping, and handed the glass back to him, turning again to her puzzle.

He sighed and shook his head. Did she not know she was still sick?

He picked her up, ignoring her growl of surprise, and carried her back to his bed. While she struggled against his grip, he laid her down, covering her with the blankets. She wrestled to get out of his grip, but a silent glare made her quit her struggles. She glared back, but sighed and rolled over, accepting his authority.

He smiled at her, then looked at the clock, realizing it was a little past six. No one else would be awake for a while, so he sat down on the edge of his bed, yawning. He went to put an arm back so he could lean on it, but paused as his hand hit her buried leg.

He looked at her face, wondering if he had caused her discomfort. She slumbered on, oblivious to his touch. He moved his arms back, until he was laying across her legs on the bed. Without meaning to, he fell asleep.

The girl stirred, feeling a great weight across her legs. She opened her eyes, and sat up, irritated. When she saw the giant, however, she tilted her head to the side, curious. She tried getting out from under him, intending to go back to her puzzle, but his weight had her successfully pinned.

She looked at his still face, growling softly. He was heavy!

However, she did not have the heart to wake him, as she knew he could hit hard. She sighed, then laid back down, trying to ignore the tingling in her legs as they slowly went numb.

She inhaled deeply, and decided she really didn't mind him.

When Kakuzu woke again, around seven-thirty, he realized there was something stroking his hair. He held himself still, until he figured out it was the girl's fingers that were trailing in between the strands. She was crooning softly as she pet his head, both hands working individually to sort out the tangles.

He opened his eyes, and her hands paused in shock, but firmly resumed their task.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

She paused, gray eyes meeting his red-and-green ones, and woofed softly, confused. He sighed. How could he have forgotten she wouldn't understand him?

He realized then he was pinning her legs to the bed.

"Oops." He rose quickly, hearing her yip of happiness. She massaged her legs, trying to get feeling back into them. He chuckled, then sat down on the edge of the bed to help her.

He rubbed her right leg, while she took care of the left. As soon as she could feel her legs again, she yanked them away, springing out of the bed to go to her puzzle. He sighed.

"You really don't know how to take care of yourself, do you?"

He snatched her waist as she went by him, swinging her back onto the bed. She growled unhappily, but a gentle cuff silenced it.

"Stay. You're not recovered yet."

She met his amused gaze with a frustrated glare, then crossed her arms and looked away. Her eyes caught sight of the window, and she looked out it wistfully. He followed her gaze and sighed.

"Either it's freedom in here, or a prison out there. Once that collar goes on you, it doesn't go off."

She responded to his words with a longing whimper, not removing her gaze from the window.

He looked out it, and thought hard.

"Ok, I'll make a deal with you. I'll talk it over with Hidan, and if he agrees, I'll get you a collar. Even a little bit of space outside for you has to be better than being stuck inside all the time."

Right on cue, he could hear his partner stirring.

"Morning, dumbass."

"Stop calling me that."

The girl turned her head to look at him, barking a greeting.

"Yeah, yeah, good morning to you too, Reni."

Kakuzu could feel her stiffen beside him.

"Reni?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Hidan sighed, then pointed to himself.

"Hidan."

He pointed to Kakuzu.

"Kakuzu."

Finally, he pointed to her.

"Reni."

She twitched, but Kakuzu couldn't figure out why. Then she smiled brilliantly, saying her new name.

"Reni!"

"Hey, dumbass, she likes it."

"So I see."

They listened to her muttering her new name to herself, watching her face as she tried to work it into memory.

"Reni, Reni, Reni….."

"We get it, that's your fucking name. I'm getting breakfast."

Hidan rose out of bed, heading for the door. Reni looked wistfully at his retreating back, then looked at Kakuzu, whine pleading.

"No, you're not following him. You're still sick."

She heard the 'no' and "Hmph'd", turning her head away from him. He shook his head, smile on his face. She really was a wonder.

"No."

"Hidan, she needs exercise, and she's bored out of her mind. Even if it's only a little room outside, isn't it better than being cooped up inside?"

"I fucking said no, and that's that. I'm not letting a collar go around her neck."

"Fine, but next time she remembers that she once used to live outside, you can tell her no."

Kakuzu could tell Hidan almost broke, but to his dismay, the masochist shook it off.

"It's too bad. Unless Pein withdraws his fucking offer, she's staying in."

The two sat in their room, watching the girl work on her puzzle as they argued. She yawned, and tilted her head toward them, chittering a bit.

"Do you have any idea what she wants?"

"No clue."

She frowned at them, then growled and got off her chair. She walked to the door, then paused and looked back at them, hand lightly elevated off the floor, expressing her wish to leave the room. Kakuzu and Hidan chuckled, Kakuzu rising to open the door for her and follow her wherever she wished to go. Probably the kitchen, but you never knew with her.

She bounded down the hallway, waiting at the top of the stairs for Kakuzu to catch up. As soon as he reached them, she raced down them, forcing Kisame to dodge out of her way when she nearly collided with his legs.

"Geez, what's her rush?"

"Who knows."

Kakuzu continued following her as she sniffed her way to the kitchen, nose in the air. She inhaled deeply, then ran in. Kakuzu heard a crash as something was dropped, and the girl ran back out, hiding behind Kakuzu's legs.

Konan poked her head around the corner, looking for the girl. "Oh, there she is. Can you tell her I wasn't attacking her? She just surprised me."

"Why do you think I can talk her language?"

"Because she immediately runs to you when I scare her. There, there, honey, it's all right. I didn't mean to scare you."

The girl watched her from around the miser's legs, and once she deemed Konan safe, she approached her, head low.

"Kakuzu, what's she doing?"

"She's apologizing. If you ask what for, I'll strangle you. I'm not a mind reader."

Konan watched the girl, who lost interest in apologizing and started wandering around the kitchen, sniffing the top of the counter, where that night's supper lay; steak.

"She needs a bath, and her hair brushed. Probably her teeth too."

"Go ahead, I wouldn't know where to begin. Just be warned: her idea of bathing means getting wet enough to rinse some dirt off you."

Konan grinned and approached the girl, grabbing the hand that was reaching up to steal a steak from the counter-top. The girl whined, looking to Kakuzu. He just snapped his fingers and pointed in the direction Konan was starting to drag her, signaling she should go. She growled irritably, but obeyed.

Kakuzu watched her vanish into Konan and Pein's room, then turned to go into the living room, planning on stealing the remote.

Several loud crashes and curses were heard a few minutes later, and every person within hearing range looked toward the source of the noise. They heard Konan shout, and a few seconds later Pein was forced out of the room, ducking as a lamp flew over his head. He glared at Kakuzu.

"Should I blame this on you?"

"Probably."

A yelp ensued forth from behind the closed door, followed by a sloshing sound and feet scrambling against a floor. A growl sounded, followed by Konan shouting, "Stay in the fucking tub!"

All eyes turned to Kakuzu, who shrugged. "Konan's giving her a bath."

They all raised eyebrows, but turned back to the TV, turning the volume up to mask the sounds coming from the room. However, even the loudest noise couldn't have masked the following shout, "Don't bite me!", followed by another yelp.

Silence was all that was heard after that. Curious, they muted the volume on the TV, hearing Konan say, "See, that's not so bad, is it?"

A low growl sounded, followed by the sound of a slap and a quiet yelp. The girl stayed silent after that.

Kakuzu turned the volume back up. "She is not going to like Konan after this."

The girl slunk out of the room, keeping well away from the demon. Once she managed to skirt away from the scary she-beast, she shook herself, hating the feeling of the too-large clothes rubbing against her skin. All the dirt had been cleaned off, and her hair had been scrubbed too, though the woman had given up trying to brush it after a few stokes.

The girl looked around the room, trying to ignore her empty stomach, eyes searching for anyone familiar….

Her eyes landed on Kakuzu, and she yipped happily in delight, running toward him. He caught sight of her a few moments before she jumped, and he raised his hands in an attempt to ward her off.

It was too late. She sailed through the air, landing on his lap and making him grunt in surprise.

She turned to face him, ignoring the looks, and angrily told him about the abuse she went through at the hands of the scary-lady, making a few aggressive gestures to emphasize her point.

He ignored her, trying to regain his breath at the same time he was trying to push her off, but she refused to be removed. She was scared, plain and simple, and she wasn't leaving her security blanket.

Breath retrieved, he glared at her, watching her angry gestures and listening to her furious growls. However, listening to the laughter around him, he started chuckling, then erupted into full-blown laughter.

His convulsing body caused her to lose her balance, and she fell off his lap and out of the chair, landing with a crash on the floor. Glaring at him from her new position on the floor, she grumpily sat, waiting for him to finish so she could climb back up.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the albino laughing as well, and vaguely wondered what was so funny.

Kakuzu heard the door open, but paid no attention to it. It was only when he saw Hidan's alarmed face that he turned.

He saw the girl prepare to spring, and held up his hands in an attempt to get her to stop. She ignored this, and sailed through the air, heading for Kakuzu.

She landed heavily, and the breath was knocked out of him. Embarrassed, he tried to push her off while also trying to breathe again. She evaded his attempts and started growling angrily, gesturing at the laughing Konan. She chittered and growled and yelped, telling him about her ordeals in the bathroom.

With his breath back, he glared at her, which she ignored and continued growling. He noticed her shaking, and figured out she was afraid of Konan.

Looking around, he noticed everyone else laughing at the situation, and now that he thought about it, he could see the humor in it too.

He started chuckling, which erupted into full-blown laughter when he saw her trying to stay on his lap. The movement caused her to fall off, landing on her side.

She looked at him, hurt, then seemed to notice everyone else laughing. She tilted her head, as if trying to figure them out. Apparently deciding they weren't worth her interest, she turned her gaze back to Kakuzu, waiting for him to stop laughing so she could climb back up.

When his coughs turned to chuckles, she made a dainty leap and ended up back in his lap. He tried pushing her off again, but a flat glare stopped his actions.

Like an overgrown cat, she curled back up in his lap, closing her eyes for sleep. With her weight pinning him down, he couldn't do more than reach for the remote with his threads, snatching it from Pein.

"Hey!"

"Don't even think of trying to get it back. I'm going to be stuck here for a while, and I'm not watching GhostHunters."

Pein growled and folded his arms across his chest, glaring at the TV.

Konan watched the sleeping girl for a bit, then walked up to Kakuzu. She seemed surprised when the girl cracked open an eyelid to growl a warning at her, and she stopped her advance at what the girl deemed an acceptable distance. She blinked in amusement at the girl, then turned to Kakuzu.

"I gave her a bath, gave her new clothes, which you can see don't fit her very well, and attempted to detangle the rat's nest she calls hair. I gave up on that when she bit me, which you need to fix, by the way. I didn't even try to do anything with her teeth, and other than horrible breath, they don't seem to need much attention anyways. I don't think she's letting me near her any time soon, so you're going to have to learn to do this yourself. That girl doesn't like anyone other than you or Hidan."

"She has a fucking name now."

Everyone blinked in surprise.

"What name did you decide to give her?"

"We've agreed on Reni", Kakuzu stated, hands idly massaging the back of the girl on his lap. She lifted her head briefly at the sound of her name, then set it back down to go back to her nap.

"That fits."

"That's why we named her that."

They watched the two that were in the armchair, then turned their attention back to the TV, watching the old version of Dracula.

Konan watched the masked S-rank criminal continue to tenderly rub Reni's back, smiling, then turned to go into the kitchen so she could finish cooking supper.

**A/N: Thank you people for reading and reviewing, it really makes me happy, even though some of you flame. Now, I have to apologize. I have completely run out of stockpiled chapters, so now you're going to have to wait a while for the next one. Sorry!**


	10. Chapter 10

Kakuzu shook the girl's shoulder, attempting to rouse her. She grumbled grouchily, but raised her head, looking at him with sleepy eyes. Now that she was awake, he picked her light body up and set her down on the floor.

He rose to go to the kitchen, where supper was waiting, and she yawned and followed. She was met with a few amused chuckles when she entered the kitchen, but she did nothing and curled up at Kakuzu's feet to go to sleep.

Konan went to give a steak to Kakuzu, but the girl stopped her with a ferocious snarl, teeth bared. When Konan took another step forward, Reni rose to all fours, preparing to spring for her throat.

"Konan, just back off. She's fully prepared to kill you right now."

Konan growled, but handed the plate to Deidara, who passed it down to Kakuzu. She sat next to Pein, picking up her fork and mumbling, "All I did was give her a bath, and all of a sudden I'm her worst enemy."

Mouth full of food, Hidan waved his fork through the air and said, "Don't feel bad, bitch. She absolutely hated me when we first met."

"Hidan, don't talk with your mouth full, un!"

Pein ignored Deidara, who unfortunately had been showered with crumbs when Hidan spoke, and asked, "Why did she hate you?"

Kakuzu spoke for him. "Because he made her rescue him from a bear, then he threatened her the first night she knew him, and then he kept taking pictures of her with the camera we stole. She pushed him off a cliff."

"I didn't fucking know I was threatening her! All I did was say hello!"

"You bared your teeth and stood up suddenly. You were threatening her."

Hidan mumbled, but returned to his food. Konan looked back at the girl, who was watching the room carefully.

"Is that what the wounds on her back are from? The bear?"

"The bear inflicted some of the wounds, but others were from the coyotes and the deer she killed. I also believe the summoned wolf she defeated got a hold on her foot, but I'm not sure."

They all stared at her.

"She defeated a summoning?"

"I told you, she helped us fight ANBU twice. That was the second fight." Kakuzu paused. "And I believe she beat Hidan in body count in both fights."

"That's no fucking fair, and you know it! She kept stealing my fucking opponents!"

"Sure she did", Itachi muttered, making Kisame snicker.

"What did you say, you fucking weasel?!"

"Hidan, calm down-"

"Like hell will I calm down! That fucking bastard is going to-"

SNARL!!!

All were silent as they looked down at the snarling Reni. Satisfied she had their attention, she growled once, then put her head back down. They remained silent for a few minutes, then turned back to their supper, the only sounds silverware scraping against plates.

"Fucking bitch…."

"Hidan, shut up."

The girl sniffed the air, scenting the cooked meat, but not asking for any. She didn't think she deserved any, after biting the blue-haired woman like she did, and then threatening her.

Her stomach rumbled quietly, and she clenched it tightly, hoping the others hadn't heard that. Unfortunately, they did.

She saw the giant look down at her, frowning, and she apologized. His frown deepened, and he growled something to the woman, who gasped and rose quickly. The shiny man glanced down at her, and she glared back, remembering how he had threatened the smaller man. He chuckled lightly, turning his gaze away.

The girl heard the woman coming back, holding another cooked-meat thing. She tossed it to her, and she rose and walked away, turning her back on the food. The giant frowned down at her, then growled a question to the woman. She huffed, but turned to go into the big-white-humming thing.

She opened a door, and the girl was hit by a blast of frigid air. Curious, she lifted her head to look in, but didn't approach it. The blue-haired woman took out something, and tossed it into another black box. She touched the screen on it a few times, producing a beeping noise with each touch, and the thing started humming suddenly.

The girl looked toward it curiously as the insides lit up, then got up as the smell of blood started permeating from it. She walked over to the buzzing box, growling softly and ignoring the others' gazes on her. When the scent became too much for her to bear, her arm lashed out, attempting to shatter the box. However, some of the giant's threads caught her arm, preventing her from damaging the humming thing. She turned her head to glare at him, but a stony look stopped her.

She apologized, pulling her arm away. He grinned in approval, and withdrew his threads from her arm. She walked back to him, curling back up at his feet. She heard the blond chuckle, and she lifted her head to growl at him. He yelped, and tried unsuccessfully to hide behind the red-head. Said person growled at the blond and pushed him away, managing to push him off his chair and on the floor, not one foot from the girl.

Everyone froze, including the blond, and watched what she would do.

Everyone froze. The only sound was the microwave unthawing a steak as they waited for Reni's reaction to having Deidara pushed right in front of her, someone who had already angered her once. Even Itachi seemed vaguely interested, fork pausing in its path to his mouth. Finally, Reni moved.

She rose slowly, menacingly. Deidara gulped and squeezed his eyes shut, cringing away from her. She raised her hand slowly, fingers hooking into claws, and everyone waited.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Deidara's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I waited for the blow that would surely come, closing my eyes and leaning away from the menacing girl, the one that Kakuzu and Hidan had brought home.

She had always scared me, though I would never admit it. The way she never hesitated to bite something if it angered her, blood stains on her skin and teeth, she was absolutely terrifying. The way her gray eyes seemed to be wild, as if she were an animal, maybe a mountain lion or something. Her growls alone were scary, realistic in an unnatural way. I've experienced them first-hand, remember?

Maybe I shouldn't have stabbed Hidan a few days ago. Maybe if I hadn't, she wouldn't be about to kill me now. I have no clue what Kakuzu sees in this girl. Oh yes, I can see he's obsessed with her, though I'll never say that to his face. I can imagine his reaction, and I would like to keep my balls, thank you very much. It's so obvious he likes her, though he tries to hide it. If Hidan would have destroyed the money, or jumped in his lap, he would have been torn to little penny-sized shreds. Yet, he still allowed her to do pretty much whatever she wants. It's sickening. Not to mention the name he gave her wants to make me barf. Reni indeed.

Oh, right, back to the matter at hand.

As I lay there, I kind of felt a disappointment. One, I wouldn't be dying the way I wanted to, in an explosion, and two, Sasori wasn't even trying to help me. I get we argue a lot, but he could at least pretend to care, right?

I could feel the girl's shadow over me, chilling me. Even if I had wanted to try to run, which no doubt would have failed, I was unable to. My body had frozen.

I could feel her hand descending, don't ask me how, but I could. I silently thought out my prayers, waiting for the blow that would no doubt start the end of my life. However, instead I felt…..

I flashed my eyes open. What was going on? The girl was patting my head, as if was a fucking dog or something, and crooning to me, as if comforting me.

I stood up quickly, startling her. Her gray, animalistic eyes blinked, and she looked up at me, since she insisted on walking on all fours all the time.

Slowly, I walked away from her, tensed and waiting for the moment she would spring. She was fast, as I had seen before. However, she just stood there, eyes widening slightly in an expression I didn't think was possible for her blood stain-spattered face. She was hurt.

I could feel Kakuzu glaring at me, so I stopped edging away, trying to figure out a way to fix the situation. The girl might not be trying to kill me now, but Kakuzu would if I didn't think of someway to make his pet feel better. Why does this stuff happen to me? I'm not good at thinking my way out of situations like these.

Hesitantly, I edged back to her, reaching my hand out the way I would if I was approaching a strange dog. Her eyes lit up like fireworks, and despite myself, I could feel a smile working its way to my face.

I softly patted her head while she chittered happily, like a squirrel or something. I could feel Kakuzu's glare lessen, so I pulled away, a wide grin on my face. Don't ask me how, but her eyes had changed my opinion of her. I liked her now.

Still grinning, I went back to my seat, smile stretching wider as I saw Itachi continue the path his fork had started a few minutes ago. So, even the great Itachi had been curious?

They all sighed in relief and shock when Reni started patting Deidara's head, instead of hurting him like they had thought she would. Deidara opened his eyes quickly, startled, and quickly jumped up and away from the girl, causing her to blink in surprise, then look up at him, hurt.

Kakuzu glared at him, unconsciously growling softly. Hidan looked at him, then at Deidara. He could tell the blond felt Kakuzu's glare, and waited to see the blond's reaction.

Deidara flinched away from Kakuzu's gaze, then turned back to Reni cautiously. He warily stretched out his hand, as if expecting to be bit, and patted her head.

Her eyes lit up, and she grinned happily as Deidara pet her. She didn't really like when people were afraid of her.

Kakuzu dropped his glare, and the now-smiling blond went and sat happily back in his chair, grinning madly. How odd, he had been terrified of her a few moments ago, and now he liked her. Reni panted happily, sitting back down in between Kakuzu and Hidan. Hidan absently reached down and patted her head, praising her.

The microwave beeped, startling her. Her head whipped around and stared at it, tense. Konan got up and opened it, stabbing a fork into the bleeding steak and lifting it off the plate it had been on.

Making a face, she tossed it to Reni, who snatched it out of the air and caught it in her jaws. Using on hand to pin it to the floor, she buried her teeth in it and started pulling, meat making a sickening ripping sound as it tore. When she ripped off a bite, she tossed it into the air once before chewing briefly and swallowing.

All the members watched her, then looked down at their plates. At almost the same time, they all pushed the plates away, looking green. The only ones who didn't were Zetsu, Itachi, Hidan and Kakuzu. Zetsu really couldn't complain, as his dinner was still twitching, Itachi didn't care, and Kakuzu and Hidan were used to it. Even Pein looked slightly pale.

"Hidan, un, is it really necessary for her to eat like that?"

"It could still be alive."

Deidara turned an unhealthy shade and bolted from the room, followed closely by Kisame. Hidan went back to his dinner, saying, "You'd think it wouldn't fucking bother fish-face."

"He only looks like a shark, he isn't really one," Itachi pointed out, swallowing a bite of his steak.

"You don't look like a fucking weasel, yet you are one."

Itachi's eyes flashed red.

"Did you just call me a weasel again?"

"No, I called you a fucking parakeet. Yes I called you a weasel!"

Itachi calmly put down his fork and knife, slowly standing up. Reni paused in her eating, but soon returned to gnawing on a still-frozen part, growling softly in concentration. Itachi slowly walked over, and Hidan eagerly stood up, ignoring Kakuzu's command to sit back down. He grinned maniacally, and Pein growled.

"If you two insist on fighting like two-year olds, go outside. We can't afford to replace the table again."

The feared leader was ignored as the two continued to glare at each other, trying to scare the other off. Deidara came back, saw the two about to fight, and quickly walked back out. He passed Kisame, who looked at him oddly before entering the kitchen himself. When he saw Itachi, he sighed and calmly walked up, grabbing Itachi's arm and gently leading him away.

"Come on, Itachi, you can kill him some other time."

Itachi, seeing his point, glared one last time before turning around and going back to his plate. Hidan snorted.

"That's right, you pussy, run away like a fucking chicken. If your little shark wasn't around, you would be fucking-"

His sentence was cut off as Itachi whirled around and punched him in the jaw, knocking him backwards. Everyone else just sighed and calmly left the room, leaving the fighting duo and their partners. Reni looked up, startled, and watched them briefly before acting.

When Hidan went to swing back at Itachi, she jumped up and bit his arm, deflecting the blow and causing him to crash to the floor. Kisame, also pissed at Hidan, went to go attack him, was shoved back quite forcefully by Reni, who also glared at Itachi until he backed off.

Kakuzu moved forward to grab Hidan and drag him off, and stopped when Reni growled menacingly at him, telling him to back off. He blinked in surprise, then stood still, watching her.

Hidan went to shove her off, and she sat on his chest, successfully pinning him to the floor while he cursed and tried pushing her off.

Kisame, not to be beaten, had his leg bit when he tried to kick Hidan's side, quietly cursing as he withdrew his leg, shin shredded. Itachi was smart enough not to get too close to her, as was Kakuzu.

When Reni finally seemed to think they would behave, she got off Hidan, growling until he left the room, cursing up a storm. Kisame was glared at until he limped past her, and finally only Itachi and Kakuzu were left in the room.

She eyed them, then left them be and went back to her food, picking it back up off the floor and continuing to gnaw on it, teeth grating as they scraped bone.

Kakuzu was fairly surprised at how fast she had broken up the fight. As he looked at Itachi's expression, he could see the sharingan-weilder was surprised as well.

Finally, Kakuzu felt the need to say something.

"Well, that was…..interesting."

"Hn."

Itachi left the room, leaving only Reni and Kakuzu in the kitchen. Reni finished her steak, and gave him an apologizing look as she left and climbed up the stairs, presumably to go back to their room.

Kakuzu looked at the mess left in the kitchen, and left before Konan could sucker him into helping her clean.

Kakuzu entered the room to an odd sight. Reni was pinned underneath Hidan, who was cursing as he attempted to drag a brush through her hair, Reni snarling and trying to squirm away.

Kakuzu stared for a while longer, than asked, "Hidan, what are you doing?"

Hidan snorted, hands pausing. "I'm attempting to brush her hair. As you can fucking see, it's not going well."

"Why are you even trying?"

"Because her hair is a fucking mess, and it makes me sick just looking at it."

Kakuzu just shook his head and went to his bed, picking the book back up and continuing where he left off. However, after half an hour of listening to Reni's snarls and whimpers of pain, he finally sighed and rose.

He pulled out a knife, heading steadily towards her. With a single, swift motion, he grabbed her hair and slid the knife across, severing it at shoulder length.

Hidan yelped in surprise at Kakuzu's sudden appearance, then growled at him.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"Saving her from torture, and fixing her hair problem at the same time."

"You fucker, now her hair's too short to do anything with!"

"It'll grow out. Besides, she's happier."

Hidan looked down, seemed to realize he was still straddling her back, and quickly got up. As soon as he did, Reni shot to her feet, shook her head to adjust to her shortened hair length, and bolted underneath Kakuzu's bed.

Hidan growled again, then walked over and ducked to look underneath the bed.

"Get back out here, you fucking bitch….", he muttered as he reached underneath the bed. He suddenly yelped and quickly withdrew his hand, sticking two of his fingers immediately into his mouth.

"Kazhou, thee thuffin bith me! (Kakuzu, she fucking bit me!)"

"That's not surprising, considering you probably just made her go through the worst torture of her life."

"Futh oo! (Fuck you!)"

"I'd rather not." _(Ha ha, dirty joke!)_

Hidan just glared and went into the bathroom, presumably to clean his hand and bandage it. Kakuzu shook his head and rolled his eyes, sitting back on his bed, hearing Reni shift underneath it as the bed dipped. He picked his book back up, continuing where he had left off.

The girl yawned, frowning as she inhaled dust and had to cough. Didn't they ever clean their den?!

Her thoughts ended when a particularly loud cough made the person on the bed above her move. The giant placed his feet on the floor and apparently rose, as the bed rose as well. He ducked down to see her, eyes furrowed.

She apologized, sneezing out more dust and feeling hair strands tickle her nose. She heard the giant sigh, and he reached an arm in and grabbed her, dragging her out against her will. He lifted her up and set her on the bed, picking up the hated brush. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain, dimly hearing the smaller man mutter angrily in the background.

Instead, however, the giant was gentle, softly tugging the knots out of her hair. She opened her eyes again, startled, and looked at him.

As soon as her hair was knot-free, he gently braided it, using one of his threads to tie it behind her back. It wasn't a very long braid, but it kept the strands out of her face.

She tilted her head experimentally, then grinned when the weight didn't bother her that much. She thanked him, then went to go crawl back under his bed, the spot she had chosen to sleep.

He grabbed her arm, stopping her, and she looked back at him, woofing a question. Seeing she would wait a bit, he walked to another door-thing and opened it, pulling out folded blankets. He tossed them into an empty corner, pointing to it and looking at her. Oh, she could sleep there. It was better than sleeping in dust.

She grinned at him, then walked over, scrunching the blankets together into a nest and swiftly falling asleep.

Kakuzu tugged the brush through her hair, feeling her gaze on him but focusing on brushing her hair with minimum pain. He had cut the worst of the knots off, but it was still a mess.

When he could drag the brush through her hair and not get caught, he braided her hair, and, for lack of a hair tie, used one of his threads to tie it in place. The braid served two purposes: it would keep her hair out of her face, and it would keep it reasonably snarl-free so they wouldn't have to endure this too often.

As soon as he released her, she went to go back under his bed, but he stopped her, slightly annoyed that she insisted on sleeping there.

When he saw she would wait for his next step, he went to the room's closet and pulled out some spare blankets, tossing them into an empty corner and pointing to it, telling her she would sleep there.

She grinned happily, probably glad to be out of the dust, and ran over to arrange them into a crude nest-like arrangement and curl up in them, already softly snoring.

Kakuzu shook his head, then went to his own bed to finish his book. He only had a few chapters left. He heard Hidan come back from the bathroom, and saw him glare at Reni from the corner of his eye.

"You know, glaring at her isn't going to make her apologize."

"Shut the fuck up, Dumbass."

**A/N: I'm kind of experimenting with first person right now, and I thought that as the story continued, I'd put in what they think of Reni throughout the series. Just little snippets here and there, like with Deidara. If you think this is a bad idea, just tell me and I won't do it. Thank you, people, for reading and reviewing this. It makes me really happy!**

**Special thanks to the following, for being loyal reviewers throughout the entire series: Akatsuki Chef, for being my first reviewer; cheeky half-demon, for sticking with me; Midnight-Shadow-Wolfling, for giving me encouragement; saxcuL. the all-knowing, for being there; and Kudumeya, for planning to attack the chibis with me.**

**Also, I'd like to thank 5tailedwolfmistress for reviewing as well, thank you.**


	11. Chapter 11

The girl opened her eyes, blinking drowsily. Yawning, she looked around the room, gray eyes scanning the area.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she rose, stretching as she did so. She could see the giant and the smaller man sleeping on their beds, and she could hear the smaller man mumbling to himself.

Shaking her head, she walked over to the puzzle, looking for something to keep herself amused. She sat there for a few hours, puzzle tiles softly clacking as she put them in their places, waiting for the two men to wake up.

She looked over when the smaller man rolled over, but when she saw no sign of him awakening, she turned her head back to her present task. However, when she completed the puzzle, she decided enough was enough.

Sitting in the desk chair, she contemplated various ways to awaken them. When she saw the smaller man roll over again, an evil grin spread across her face, and she crouched.

Kakuzu jumped awake when he heard Hidan's scream, grabbing the knife he kept tucked under his mattress. He sprang to his feet, eyes wide as he looked for their assailant.

He dropped his arm and glared flatly at Hidan. The albino was shrieking and twisting around in the blankets, Reni rolling around laughing at the foot of his bed.

When Hidan finally managed to unravel himself from his blankets, he fell off his bed, still shrieking like a school girl. However, when he saw no one attacking him, he stopped, hyper-ventilating.

He looked at the laughing Reni, and glared, face turning a deep red. Kakuzu glared at him, and when Hidan saw this, he buried his face back in his bed groaning in embarrassment.

"Was that necessary, Hidan"

"She scared me….."

"She what?"

"I said she fucking scared me! I woke up when she jumped on me, and it fucking scared me!"

Sasori and Kisame rushed into the room, weapons prepared.

"Where's the enemy?" Kisame asked, looking around. Kakuzu just growled and pointed to the still-laughing Reni, whose face was turning purple.

It took Kisame a while, but he finally got it. He started laughing as well, using Sameheda as a support. Sasori just stared at Hidan, incredulous.

Pein walked in, looking angry.

"What happened?" he growled, eye twitching.

Kisame pointed to Reni while Kakuzu said, "Reni decided that jumping on Hidan would be an efficient way of waking us up. Hidan screamed, and then everyone else came in."

Pein looked at Reni, who was starting to calm down from her laughter. When she could finally breathe again, she looked up, still smiling madly.

The girl looked up at everyone staring at her, laughter threatening to bubble up out of her again. She was even more amused when she saw the smaller man hiding his face in the bed, scenting of embarrassment.

She nudged him with her hand, trying to make him look up. She knew he would be startled when she jumped on him, but she didn't know he would scream like a child.

He looked up at her sadly, face crimson. Seeing him, her amusement faltered, then vanished when she saw he was really embarrassed.

Whimpering in apology, she lay flat on the bed, making her head lower than his. He looked at her sadly, and she whimpered again. She was aware of the others watching them, but her only concern was comforting the man before her.

She reached out her hand again, poking his head. He didn't move.

She growled, then grabbed his hand and buried her teeth in it, making him yelp and draw his hand quickly back. She growled softly at him, meeting his gaze.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, ignoring the snickers from the others, and he suddenly grinned. He reached out and patted her on the head, standing up. She grinned and sat up as well, panting happily.

The smaller man ignored everyone as he left the room, walking out the door and vanishing around the corner.

The girl looked up at the giant, and she saw a small smile of approval.

They all sat in the living room, Deidara teasing Hidan about his screaming fit earlier which ended when Hidan threatened to castrate him with a rusty spork and feed his balls to Zetsu, who shouted indignantly that he would never eat something as gross as that with his other side immediately disagreeing. This led to an argument between the two sides about whether he would actually eat them or not, everyone else slowly edging away.

Reni dozed lightly on the floor next to the couch, near the side Kakuzu was sitting on as he read a magazine and attempted to ignore his partner's whining. Sasori tinkered with one of his smaller puppets on the floor, and Kisame was again trying to get Itachi to hold a conversation with him. Everything was fine until Konan decided she wanted to open a window.

Reni didn't notice it immediately, but as soon as the birds started chirping again, her head snapped up and faced the open window, sniffing furiously.

A light breeze carried through the window, and she rose and walked over to it, putting her hands on the windowsill. She pressed her face against the screen, eyes scanning the outer world while Konan left the room to finish lunch.

After a while, Kakuzu noticed Reni wasn't near him anymore, and quickly looked around for her. He didn't want to have to replace anything else she might break.

He spotted her by the window, and he felt a rush of sadness. She was going to be a prisoner for the rest of her life.

Reni ignored everyone and continued looking out, whining softly.

Hidan finally noticed her when he leaned back against a wall, putting her on the edge of his vision. He watched her sadly, sagging against the wall. Deidara seemed to notice this, and followed Hidan's gaze to look at Reni.

"What's up with her, un?"

"She wants to go outside", Kakuzu answered, keeping his voice even.

"So why don't you let her out?"

"Because Pein won't let her out unless there's a collar around her neck."

"Fucking bastard…." Hidan muttered angrily, hands clenching into fists. Itachi focused sharply on Reni, brow furrowing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Itachi's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know why I like her. Really, I don't. She's annoying, wild, and filthy.

Just like Yuki was.

I tried to shove that thought away, with no luck. As much as I hated to admit it, I missed the girl with snow-white hair, the only one who had ever dared defy me and _live._ Reni may not look a thing like Yuki, but her eyes contained the same gentle defiance that had originally drawn me to my old pet.

I watched her look sorrowfully out the window, and I felt an anger. Not at the girl who was disturbing my thoughts with her whines, but at the man who refused to let her be free. She had already proven once that she would not leave when given the chance, when Kakuzu first brought her and we scared her off, so I didn't see why it mattered now.

Without noticing it, I had risen and started walking to my room, Kisame following me like the faithful dog he tries to be. Honestly, if I took a step backwards I would step on him. This annoys me greatly, but at least it means he'll watch my back in battle.

Reaching our room, I open the door and walk to my dresser, drawn to it like it was calling me. As I still didn't know why I had come into the room in the first place, I follow the feeling, allowing my hands to open my top drawer while I merely observed, an audience to my body's motions.

Slim fingers reached in and wrapped around something shoved deep into the back of the drawer, and I slowly withdrew my hand, hearing a small bell jingle. I allowed my fingers to uncurl, already knowing what was in my hand but mind refusing to accept it.

As I stared down at the thin strip of black leather in my hand, I finally was able to open my mind to the fact that Yuki was dead, and there was nothing I could do about it. It had taken Reni to do so, but I could now think of my dear pet as dead. And I felt at peace.

Reni had unlocked a door in my mind, and for that, I was in her debt.

I started walking back out the door, hearing the small silver bell on the collar jingle with each of my steps, and I felt a smile on my face. Kisame followed me again, obviously curious but not stupid enough to ask. And I almost wished he had.

Maybe if I talked to someone, it would make sense.

They watched Itachi curiously as he walked back into the room, holding something in his hand that jingled. Kisame's expression didn't help at all, as he seemed bewildered.

Itachi walked over to Kakuzu, pressing something into his hand before turning and leaving the room again, leaving a confused Kisame.

Kakuzu unfurled his fingers, staring at the thin, black leather collar with a small silver bell attached. What was Itachi doing, giving him this? This had been his pet's collar!

Kakuzu could feel the energy coming off it that showed the jutsu on it was still effective, and if it left a certain area, the wearer would be thrown back. He looked to Hidan, who sighed and nodded.

He rose and walked to Reni, who was still staring out the window, oblivious to the world around her. She didn't notice him until he started fastening the collar around her neck, and she jumped, startled. When she saw it was Kakuzu, she whimpered pleadingly, looking back out the window.

When the collar was fully tightened around her neck, he walked off, signaling to the girl to follow. She did so sadly, looking mournfully back to the window.

He led her to the door, taking a breath before opening it.

She looked out curiously, then back at him, asking permission. He nodded, and she hesitantly set a hand outside, pausing before continuing.

She continued in this manner until she was fully off the porch and on the lawn, as if afraid she would be beaten. When she realized they wouldn't harm her, she started running, for the sheer joy of it. The other Akatsuki had gathered, and were watching her, smiles on their faces.

Until she hit a boundary.

The girl paused to revel in the feel of grass against her hands before starting to run, starting slowly but swiftly increasing her speed. She could tell the rest were watching her, but she was enjoying the moment too much to care.

She ran to the edge of the forest, intending to enter its gloomy comfort. She never made it.

Before she got even close to it, something launched her backwards, sending her flying through the air. She collided with a tree with a short scream, falling to the ground with new bruises.

She snarled at her unseen enemy, looking around for the creature that had thrown her back. Seeing nothing, she again rose to her feet, growling angrily. The creature may have gotten her once, but it wasn't going to get her again.

She limped into another run, watching her surroundings carefully. Something suddenly collided with her again, again sending her flying back another twenty feet. This time, she hit the corner of the house, and she dented the wall slightly with the force of her collision.

She hit the ground, whimpering in pain, and looked wildly around her, eyes desperately searching. How had the creature managed to sneak up on her?!

She rolled to her feet again, sprinting in fright. Every now and then she was hit by the creature, sending her flying, but she always got up, continuing her frightened run. Her eyes were wide in terror, lungs heaving as they tried to supply the struggling muscles with oxygen and failed.

She kept being launched back by this invisible creature until she just ran in a circle around the house, keeping her shoulder brushing something hard. She couldn't go farther than this, but she could run in the small area she was allowed in.

She ran until one of her legs suddenly cramped up, sending her flying to the ground. Her chin hit the ground first, and she was driven forcefully into the dirt.

She lay there, whimpering, muscles trembling, until unconsciousness took over.

The Akatsuki watched the girl throw herself against the boundary again and again, trying to block out her frightened yelps. She was going fast enough when she hit the borders that she was launched through the air, forcefully colliding with objects. Kakuzu lost count of how many trees she ended up against, but every time, she just rose again and kept running, as if by doing so she would find a way to escape.

She eventually fell to the ground, body giving out. She whimpered for a while, until she fell unconscious.

Kakuzu walked out to her, picking her light body up and cradling her against him. Her body shook with exertion, and her brow was furrowed in stress.

He walked back to the house, planning on giving her some medical attention, along with some comfort. However, as soon as he entered the household Pein was there, silently pointing to his office. Kakuzu gritted his teeth, but obeyed. Pein was the leader for a reason.

He could feel the rest shooting concerned glances at the girl in his arms as they walked by him, but he ignored them. He opened the door to Pein's office, shutting it behind him.

"What do you want with her?" he asked rudely.

"I want to know how she was able to withstand that much damage, and keep going. I was almost drained of chakra by her efforts."

"What do you want me to do about it?!" Kakuzu snapped, glaring at Pein.

Pein rose, leaning against the desk.

"I suggest you remember your place, Kakuzu, before I remind you of it."

Kakuzu shut his mouth, remembering Pein's last 'punishment'. He still couldn't bend his arm in certain ways.

"I want you to examine her, see exactly what makes her tick, and so on. I'm assigning Zetsu the task of researching her. There has to be more to her then meets the eye."

"What makes you think that?"

"Kakuzu, any human hitting that barrier at that speed should have been knocked unconscious on the first hit, not because they ran out of juice. I want to know exactly why she was able to withstand the hits. It could be that she's just tougher than the rest of us, she would have to be with her previous lifestyle, but in case it's something more, I want to know. Get to work. You are dismissed."

The finalty of Pein's voice left Kakuzu with no doubt that he would be severely punished if he failed to complete this task.

Kakuzu turned and left, still holding Reni in his grip. Her face had smoothed out as she slept, but her muscles still trembled slightly.

He climbed the stairs, thinking the easiest thing to do right now would be to take her resting heart and respiration rates. She would cooperate when she was asleep.

He thought.

The girl opened her eyes when she became aware of an annoying beeping noise somewhere to her left, awakening her.

She furrowed her brow and growled softly, frowning. She heard someone move, and she turned her head to see the giant, ignoring the stiffness in her muscles as she moved. She smiled slightly, which quickly left her face when she realized that the beeping thing was connected to her arm, measuring her heartbeats with that shrill little noise.

_Beep….Beep….Beep…._

Ugh, it was annoying.

The giant chuckled at her, and she turned her head, playfully sticking her tongue out at him, a motion she had learned while watching the smaller man argue with others.

He raised an eyebrow at this, but shook his head in amusement. Feeling suddenly tired, she lowered her head again and closed her eyes, breathing deeply and exhaling loudly. She didn't like the beeping thing, but it must have been there for a reason.

However, to her delight, the giant removed the cuff from around her arm, freeing her and shutting off the annoying beeping thing.

She opened her eyes again, thanking him, and curled up into a position she was more accustomed to for sleeping. Her muscles protested against the movement, but she forced them to obey, growling softly at the resistance her body was giving her.

She was startled when she felt the hands softly rubbing her back, but she quickly uncurled herself to allow the hands to soften the muscles. The hands paused, lingering at her back, but when she growled, they continued their previous task of soothing the tensed muscles.

She purred at the sensation, feeling herself slip back to sleep.

Kakuzu continued rubbing her back, hearing her purr in her sleep. Her muscles were stiff beyond belief, as was to be expected from all the exertion she put them through, but they were slowly softening under his touch.

It had been a few hours since she had collapsed, just barely midnight. Hidan was already asleep, as Kakuzu wished to be. It had only been four days since they had gotten back, and Kakuzu was still recovering from the bear. Soon, though, he would be well enough to send on missions again.

He paused when he remembered that, thinking. He would have to go on missions, but who could he leave Reni with while he was gone?

He shook his head, dispersing those thoughts. When it came to that, he would worry about it. Right now, though, it was time to go to sleep.

He rose, leaving Reni to sleep while he walked into the bathroom for a shower. A few days in the wild really got you to appreciate something as simple as a shower.

He stepped into the tub, feeling the warm water caress his skin, soothing him when he didn't even know he was stressed. He allowed the water to run over him a while longer before actually beginning to wash himself, soaking shampoo in his hair for his monthly hair-washing. Washing you hair once a month saved money. Much to Hidan's disgust.

Finished, he stepped out and dried himself off, pulling on the pair of sweatpants he wore for bed. He opened the door to the bathroom, ruffling his damp hair. He walked over to his bed and climbed in, shutting off the lights.

Hearing the girl murmur to herself in her sleep, he slipped under.

The girl rose with the dawn light, yawning. Stretching in a cat-like way, she bared her teeth, yowling quietly. Her muscles still didn't agree with her, but she ignored her stiffness and moved to desk, climbing into the chair.

She sighed. She had forgotten she had already completed the puzzle.

She looked around the rest of the room contemplatingly, but decided against investigating.

She just took the puzzle apart, scattering the pieces before starting to put it back together again. The tiles clacked softly, the only sound in the house. She could hear birds outside, but her expression hardened when she remembered the day before. So, she was allowed to go outside, but only within a certain area?

She sighed again, reminding herself that it was better than nothing. Besides, she didn't rule anymore, she was now just a subordinate. If she remembered correctly, the giant didn't seem to like putting the thing around her neck either.

She raised her fingers to her neck, wondering if she could take it off. But, her clever fingers couldn't figure it out, so she just sighed yet again and left it be. The jingling bell annoyed her, but it was bearable. For now.

She put the last puzzle tile in place, growling irritably. Now she would have to complete it again.

She picked it apart again, scattering the pieces, and started over. How late could they sleep, anyway? It almost seemed as if they wanted to sleep the day away.

When she completed the puzzle for the second time that morning, she rose and walked around, not touching anything but observing.

The room was depressingly bare, lacking any sort of decorations at all. She didn't see the need to decorate herself, but from what she had seen of other houses she had broken into, she thought they all liked to arrange useless stuff. Apparently not.

There were weapons here and there, but that was all. It was messily arranged, but neat enough so that they knew where everything was when it was needed. It was practical, just how she used to live.

She went over to the shelves that almost fell on her her first night here. She approached them cautiously, but when they didn't move, she dropped her guard and lazily examined the items on it. All the things were covered with the strange markings they liked to use, and picked one out, wondering what it looked like on the inside.

To her disappointment, it was those white-leaf things filled with more of those strange symbols. She put it back in disappointment, looking for something more interesting.

Finding nothing, she yawned and went back to her puzzle, thinking maybe she would complete it once more before waking them up.

Sighing, she took it apart once more, then put two of the pieces together to start.

**A/N: This chapter did not want to be written. I had the first half done for the longest time, but could not think of a way to put down what I wanted to happen next. Then, I had trouble getting the right amount of emo-ness, meaning I had to rewrite a few parts a couple times. But, considering that each chapter is no less than ten pages long, I don't think it was that bad a wait, right? *trying to find excuse for laziness***

**Oh well, read and review! It makes me happy, happy person types more, and you get to read more. It all evens out in the end!**


	12. Chapter 12

The girl was bored. She had completed her puzzle three times that morning, and it no longer held the same allure it had at the beginning. And the two men still hadn't woken up.

She had leafed through the white-leaf things, trying to see if there was a pattern to the symbols, but she found none. She had poked the smaller man's weapon, and cut her arm when it fell on her. She had even _cleaned_, and she was still bored. Not a speck of dust remained in the room, and she could breathe without choking.

And they still weren't awake.

She sighed and looked around her, seeing if there was anything she could do. Anything. At all.

In her search, her eyes landed on the giant's mask. He had repaired the torn one, and as she looked at it, a mischievous glint alit itself in her eyes.

Her hands reached out and grabbed it, fingers rubbing against the smooth cloth. She studied the symbol on the metal plate, fingers following the scratch through it, then grinned and pulled it on.

Her face was buried in the loose cloth, and she had to fight to find the opening again so she could see out of it. She frowned, until she arranged it so that her face was showing through, and the remainder of the cloth fell loosely on her shoulders.

The mask quickly lost its entertainment value, and she found herself quickly bored again. Not bothering to remove it, she jumped up onto the giant's bed, sitting next to his side. He stirred at the dip in weight, but slumbered on.

Sighing, she began poking his head, trying to rouse him without making him angry at her. He twitched at the first poke, but slept on. Annoyed, she continued her assault, jabbing his head repeatedly in an attempt to get a response.

He mumbled the smaller man's name in an annoyed tone, and, surprisingly enough, the smaller man responded from his bed.

The girl paused and looked at them oddly, but shrugged and continued. Her pokes eventually caused him to try and swat her hand away, but she easily avoided the clumsy attempt and continued. Finally, he growled and opened his eyes.

His back had been facing her, looking at his partner's bed, and when he saw the smaller man there, he looked confused. Then he frowned, and turned to look at the girl, who was still poking his head.

When he saw her wearing his mask, however, he stopped what he had been going to say, and a strange look flitted across his face.

The girl heard the smaller man rising as well, and he growled something in tones sounded…… almost wistful.

The giant continued to look at her oddly, and she chittered, trying to tell him she was hungry and wanted something to eat. He just stared, and she growled in impatience.

All of a sudden, a flash erupted beside her, and she automatically leaped to the side, snarling. The giant yelled at the smaller man, who responded in indignant tones.

Still growling, the girl jumped back onto the giant's bed, eyeing the silver thing in the smaller man's grip. He saw her reaction and sighed, setting the hated object down. As soon as it hit the surface of the wooden desk, she grinned, forgiving him.

The giant grabbed the mask and began gently pulling it off, and she wiggled her head out of it to help him. As soon as she was free, she hopped off the bed, pacing to the door and looking back, silently begging.

The giant chuckled and rose, pulling his mask on himself before rising to get dressed. Knowing it would take a while, the girl yawned and lay down, half closing her eyes and dozing.

The giant finished before she knew it, and opened the door for her.

Kakuzu woke up irritably, feeling Hidan poke his head repeatedly. However, when he opened his eyes, he instead saw Hidan on the bed in front of him.

He blinked, then sighed. He knew who was poking him now. He rolled over, prepared to growl at Reni, but when he saw her, he stopped what he was going to say when he saw her.

She was wearing his mask. Sure, it looked ridiculous on her, but she was wearing it.

He could hear Hidan rising beside him, and the Jashinist yawned and rose, rubbing at his eyes. He looked over, and also stared when he saw Reni.

"What is she doing?" he asked, and Kakuzu could hear the odd tone in his voice. However, he chose to ignore it.

He continued watching Reni, feeling some weird emotion he didn't recognize. Before he could dwell on it further, a bright flash erupted on his left side, half blinding him. Reni snarled and leaped off the bed, taking shelter.

"Hidan, what the fuck?" Kakuzu growled.

"I wanted to take a picture. She's not going to wear it forever."

Kakuzu could see the logic in Hidan's answer, but that didn't mean he would excuse him. He instead chose to ignore him, and instead focused on pulling his mask off of Reni, who had jumped back up on his bed.

His fingers gently tugged the cloth off her head, and she assisted by ducking her head to lower it. It slipped easily off, and she leaped off the bed, going to the door and looking back, asking a silent question.

Kakuzu quietly chuckled, pulling his mask on himself and rising so he could get dressed. Reni seemed to realize this, and yawned and laid down, dozing. Kakuzu shook his head, pulling on his cloak.

Finished, he walked to the door, stepping over her and walking downstairs. She scampered after him, almost falling down the stairs in her haste. Kakuzu rolled his eyes, and followed her down, with much more patience.

He arrived at the bottom of the stairs, and paused, seeing everyone crowded in there.

Pein looked up, and asked, "Finally decided to join us, Kakuzu?"

"I overslept", the banker shrugged.

"Hmm."

Kakuzu ignored him, heading for the kitchen for something to eat. Reni would probably need something too.

He entered the kitchen, already seeing her in it. She was growling uncertainly at the microwave, sniffing the remnants of her supper last night. Kakuzu opened the fridge, seeing if there was something in there that he could give her. Seeing nothing better, he shrugged and took out spaghetti remains. He hadn't eaten spaghetti since he arrived, so it must be old.

He threw it in the microwave, intending to at least heat it up for her. While the machine hummed, he took the pot out of the coffee maker and poured himself a cup, not bothering to put any additions in it. He liked black coffee.

Reni looked at him curiously, sniffing his drink and wrinkling her nose. He ignored her and continued sipping at the beverage, feeling the steam waft in his face.

Hidan entered the kitchen then, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard and setting it down on the table before opening the fridge himself and taking out the milk.

He made a bowl of cereal, and Kakuzu frowned.

"Don't use so much milk, you're wasting it."

"Fuck you, asshole."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes.

"Can't come up with anything more original?"

"Too tired."

Hidan chewed his breakfast mechanically, eyes staring off into the distance. Seriously, if anyone saw them at breakfast, the Akatsuki's reputation would be ruined.

The microwave beeped, drawing Hidan out of his reverie.

"What the fuck were you nuking?"

"Leftovers for her."

"Hmm."

Hidan went back to his cereal, and Kakuzu opened the lid to the plastic dish and set it on the floor for Reni.

She sniffed it curiously, then hesitantly started eating it, making a face but too hungry to care.

The continued eating their breakfast, even though it was almost eleven. Finishing, they picked up their dishes and put them in the sink, Kakuzu using his threads to pick up Reni's.

They walked into the living room, taking up the remaining space on the couch. Kisame grumbled, but shoved over when Hidan gave him the famous 'shove your ass over before I give you the fucking rant of your life' glare.

Reni laid down on the floor, immediately setting her head down to sleep. They all sat in silence for a few hours, failing to notice Pein glancing up at the clock every now and then.

Suddenly, a knocking sound was heard at the door, and Reni immediately lifted her head and growled at the noise, tensing.

Everyone in the room took out kunai, prepared to kill whoever was foolish enough the knock at their door.

"Everyone, calm down, I've been expecting him."

They all looked at him, and hesitantly lowered their weapons. If Pein was expecting this, than it wasn't really a threat….

Pein rose and walked to the door, opening it. An ordinary looking man stood on the porch, though the way he carried himself showed he was a shinobi.

"Tokimune, I presume?"

The man looked at him, then asked, "How do you know my name? And how did you find me?"

"As I told you when I first talked to you, I am interested in having you join us."

The man sneered.

"That's all you called me here for? I thought you were hiring me."

"You don't get the option of refusing."

Pein's genjutsu threw the man against the far wall, and as soon as he entered the house, Reni started flicking her head and rubbing at her ears, an annoyed look on her face. Kakuzu noticed this, and brandished his weapon anew. Something about this man was wrong….

The man threw up his hands in surrender.

"All right, all right, I get it. I'll join you."

He stood and walked towards Pein, and subsequently towards Reni.

She immediately rolled to her feet and started snarling at him, still flicking her head as if a bug was flying in it. The brief look of panic that crossed his face was enough to fully arouse Kakuzu's suspicion.

He stood, and everyone else in the room followed his example, including Pein, as he took out a knife.

The man took his stance, eyes watching them carefully. Pein approached him.

"Now, what would cause our pet to growl like that? Is there something you're hiding from me?"

"Why would I hide something from you? We're both rogues, aren't we?"

"He's lying", Itachi stated, his sharingan having seen the subtle signs that betrayed what the man was truly saying.

The man swore and took out letter bombs, throwing them at the people and bolting towards the door in the same movement.

"Reni!" Kakuzu shouted, pointing at the man as the bombs exploded and filled the room with dust.

Reni growled an affirmative and took off, pursuing her target. However, her victim was swiftly approaching the boundary.

"Pein, take the jutsu off!"

Pein looked at him for a brief second.

"You'd better be right about this, Kakuzu."

They watched Reni chase him, and as she swiftly approached the border, she tensed as she prepared to collide with it, eyes closing partially. She ducked her head, and-

Passed right through it.

She blinked in surprise, slowing slightly, then continued chasing down the man, easily leaping over fallen trees and quickly vanishing out of their sight.

Pein looked at Kakuzu again.

"You'd better be sure, because if she doesn't come back, I will hunt her down and kill her."

"She'll come back", Kakuzu responded.

"She'd better."

Three hours later, there was still no sign of Reni.

Pein had ordered them to look for her, and if she wasn't already dead, kill her.

They were sent out in four-man squads, and Kakuzu, Hidan, Itachi, and Kisame were on one while Sasori, Deidara, Pein and Konan were on the other. Zetsu and Tobi were on their own, and they were assigned different quadrants of the forest to search.

They looked for half an hour, and Kakuzu was depressed. He was sure Reni would have come back. He guessed he didn't mean as much to her as he had thought.

Then, they found her.

She was sitting on the target, who was struggling to get her off of him while she growled and pinned him to the ground, refusing to let him go.

He spotted them, and shouted, "Kill me already, just get her fucking ass off of me!"

She growled and cuffed him, driving his face into the dirt.

The group of four stared.

"So the only reason she didn't come back…." Kisame began.

"….was because she didn't want to kill him with out permission", Itachi finished.

They stared for a while longer, then Kakuzu shook his head and activated the jutsu that would signal her discovery. Within seconds, everyone was gathered.

"Why didn't you kill her?" Pein growled.

"I do not believe we have the grounds to punish her in that manner anymore, sir. As you can see, she completed her task, but, she didn't have the orders to kill him. My theory is that she was unable to bring the captive back, so she did the only thing she could think of and pinned him, waiting for us to find her. As you can see, her plan worked", Itachi said, and they all raised an eyebrow at the amount the Uchiha had spoken.

Pein shook his head.

"Why did you have to put it like that, Itachi?"

"Well, we no longer have to kill her for insubordination,_ right Pein_?" Konan growled.

He threw his hands up in the air.

"Fine, we don't have to kill her! Just search the idiot and let's get out of here, I'm hungry."

Itachi efficiently slit the man's throat, before signaling to Kisame to search the body.

"What is it, Uchiha? Don't want to dirty your pretty hands and search the body yourself?"

"Hidan, don't start. I'm not in the mood."

Hidan "Hmph"d and folded his arms across his chest.

Reni stood and walked over to Kakuzu, manner apologizing. He reached down and patted her on the head, telling her she did a good job. She grinned, then yawned.

Kisame pulled something out of the man's jacket lining, and Reni frowned and started rubbing at her ears again.

"Well what do ya' know? He had a tape recorder on 'em. Must 'ave been recording us, to bring back to some village or another. Wouldn't be surprised if there was a tracking device in 'ere too."

Itachi frowned and took the object, pressing a button and turning it off. Reni sighed in relief and stopped rubbing her ears, sitting down. Kakuzu looked down at her.

"She was hearing the tape recorder?"

"I guess so."

Itachi dismantled the device, and peered briefly at the contents.

"There is no tracking device. It's just a recorder."

"Good. Zetsu, here's dinner. I'm going back and taking a nap."

Pein vanished swiftly, leaving the rest there. Zetsu approached the body, and everyone else was quick to leave, Kakuzu leading Reni away.

That night, at dinner, Reni got a pleasant surprise. Konan had gone out and bought some meat for her, not even frozen.

Reni immediately began tearing at it, growling in hunger. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.

"How much did that cost?"

"Don't start, Kakuzu, it came out of my own paycheck."

Kakuzu just grumbled and turned back to his, oddly enough, spaghetti. Reni happily gnawed at her prime rib, a look of peaceful bliss on her face. Deidara grinned.

"Maybe we should rename her 'Banken', eh, Kakuzu?" (By the way, Banken means 'watch dog')

"That's not funny."

"Seriously, un, that name fits her! Banken would be perfect!"

"No."

"But why not, un?"

"NO."

"Kakuzu, wh-"

"Brat, if you ask him that question again, I am going to turn you into one of my puppets. Now shut up and eat."

Deidara grumbled, but did as his danna told him.

Supper was finished without event, and soon Kakuzu, Hidan, and Reni were up in their room. Hidan shrugged out of his cloak, heading towards the bathroom.

"I'm showering first, dumbass."

"Don't use too much hot water. It's expensive."

"Fuck you. If I want to take a hot shower, I'm going to take a hot shower."

Kakuzu ignored him, and watched Reni, who had already fallen asleep in her 'nest'. She was twitching and growling, eyes flitting about underneath her eyelids. Kakuzu vaguely wondered what she was dreaming about.

In her dreams, the girl was chasing the intruder again, leaping over trees with ease. She reveled in the feel of being able to run, and the thrill of the hunt.

Speaking of which, the man was starting to pull away. Frowning, the girl put on an extra burst of speed, striving to get him.

She pulled level with his flashing feet, and he tried evading her. However, she stuck to him, and for an instant, he was replaced with the image of a deer in her mind's eye.

Acting on instinct, her head lunged toward his legs, and her teeth locked around one of his ankles.

He crashed to the ground, bringing her with him. They tussled on the forest floor for a while, before she finally got his throat in her teeth.

She then paused. What if the giant didn't want her to kill him? Unable to decide what to do, she pinned him to the ground, waiting for the giant to come.

Her dreams took on a different turn all of a sudden, showing her that morning instead. She listened to the giant's voice, and she could have sworn she understood him….

Before she could dwell on that for any longer, she slipped into a deeper sleep, chasing away all dreams.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Kakuzu amazingly woke up before Reni, and he watched her for a few minutes before finally moving.

He stood up quietly, and walked over to her, picking her up gently and carrying her over to his bed and setting her down. She stirred briefly, but remained asleep, twitching slightly.

He stroked her hair until she calmed again, then left the room, heading downstairs. He felt the need to do something for her, to surprise her, but he didn't know what to do. Finally, he was struck by a brilliant idea.

He opened the door and walked out, heading for the forest. She would probably like it if she could have a rabbit or something to eat. He stalked through the forest, and sat still, waiting next to a game trail for something to walk by.

Almost half an hour passed before a skittering noise alerted Kakuzu to an animal's presence.

He tensed, waiting. A rabbit walked by, sniffing as it went, and a few of his threads snaked out and headed stealthily towards it. They swiftly rose, and wrapped themselves around its neck, snapping it.

He walked back, quickly, as he was trying to make it back before she woke up. He walked up the steps, and voices coming through the door told him that there were others up besides him.

He paused before opening the door, then growled and walked in, rabbit dangling by its hind legs from his hands.

Inside, Pein and Itachi looked up, in mid conversation.

Pein raised an eyebrow at the prize in Kakuzu's hands, then asked, "And why do you have a rabbit?"

"Reni's breakfast."

Itachi said nothing, as usual. Kakuzu walked upstairs, opening his door and walking in. Reni was just rising, looking confused at where she was. She saw him, and woofed softly in greeting. He imitated it, and her eyes sparked a bright curiosity.

She "chrrf"d and made a bunch of other noises, and he just shook his head at the overwhelming amount she was trying to communicate.

She stopped, then sighed and made a soft "grrr"ing noise, looking away. He realized she was feeling depressed about something, and held out the rabbit.

She looked at it, then eagerly snatched it out of his hands and opened her mouth to begin eating it.

He quickly picked her up and put her on the floor, so none of the blood would end up in his sheets. She looked up at him sadly, and carried the rabbit over to the corner, sad again. Confused, Kakuzu tried to cheer her up, making the threads come out of his arm and wiggle around.

This earned him a sad smile, but that was all. Kakuzu sighed.

"What's wrong, Reni?" he asked her softly, knowing she wouldn't be able to understand. She looked up at her name, but went back to her meal when she saw he wasn't looking for a reply.

Zetsu suddenly melted up from the floor, startling Reni and causing her to growl and leap to her feet.

He gazed down at her unemotionally, then said, "Pein wishes to speak to you. It is urgent. **Which means get down there now.** He has also requested that you bring Hidan and your….pet. **You mean our next meal.** Be polite. **No.**"

Still arguing with himself, the cannibal melted back into the floor, leaving a tense Kakuzu and Reni.

Kakuzu looked down at Reni, who was growling softly.

"So, are you waking up Hidan, or am I?"

After quite literally dragging Hidan downstairs, the three stood in Pein's office, Zetsu standing quietly in the corner like some house plant. Pein sat in his chair, elbows resting on the surface of his desk and ringed eyes staring at them intensely.

"Has Zetsu told you anything about why you were called down here?"

"No."

"Hmm…. No matter. The reason I had you brought here is because we have a potential lead on Reni. Zetsu."

The plant stepped forward, and Reni started growling quietly, quitting when Kakuzu held his fingers at her back.

"We were looking around in old village records, searching for anything about a girl running away, or being abandoned, or anything along the lines of that, when we found something interesting. **What did you find that I didn't? I didn't see anything that might relate to her!** If you'll shut up, I'll explain. We were searching through the records of Gengakure when we found something interesting.** Oh, I remember now!** Yes, now shut up. As I was saying, we found something that might have to deal with her.

Twenty-two years ago, a women was exiled from her village under the suspicion of being involved with the Tora, a gang terrorizing the village. **At the time of her exile, she was two months pregnant.** She was given a hunting dog, a knife, and a week to get out of village territory. If she was found, she would be killed.

She did not leave the country, as signs of her could be found all over. Camps where she had slept, footprints, things like that. **However, they could not catch her. She kept moving, and when they found her, she would vanish into thin air. Sound familiar?**"

Kakuzu had to admit that yes, it did sound familiar. Still, this couldn't be Reni. Otherwise Reni would have to be at least thirty years old, if she had gotten pregnant at ten, which was unlikely.

"What does she have to do with Reni?" he asked.

"We were getting to that. Seven months after her exile, signs of her camp were found again, along with evidence she had given birth. They followed the trail to the edge of the country, where they gave up.** Deciding that their problems were over with, they abandoned the hunt.**

**Seven years later, reports came in that someone had found her body.** They examined it, and decided it was indeed her. However, no signs could be seen of her child, if it had been living. They gave up the case, saying the child was none of their concern. A few people wanted them to look for it, since it would have been seven at the time, but they were ignored.

**From then on, the only things we could find related to this case were occasional sightings, and claims of theft. The child became an attraction, and people came from all over so that they might catch a glimpse of this kid who might be alive after all those years.** The village profited quite well, if I do recall."

"Did they discover the cause of death of the woman?" Kakuzu asked.

"The reports say she died of disease.** Probably got sick or something. A shame, really. Sick people taste funny.**"

"Wait. Are you fucking telling me Reni's over twenty years old?"

"If it is her, then yes."

"Interesting", Pein said quietly, fingertips pressed together. "Zetsu, you are dismissed."

"**About time.**"

Zetsu vanished into the floor, leaving the others alone. Pein leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtfully at Reni.

"Who are you, girl?" he asked himself quietly, looking off into space. Reni growled softly at being addressed by him, and Kakuzu could not get her to silence the growl. Finally, Pein looked up.

"That is all the information we have discovered currently. You are dismissed."

Kakuzu nodded while Hidan muttered, and they both left the room, Reni following.

"Seriously Kakuzu, he didn't have to wake us up that early to tell us that!"

"Hidan, shut up. It's too early in the morning to listen to your whiny voice."

"Ah, fuck you!"

Hidan stomped off, and Reni watched him leave with a bored look on her face. Deciding she would be better entertained outside, he tapped her shoulder, causing her to look up, and signaled to the door.

Her face lit up, and she sprinted to the door, colliding with a sleepy Kisame's legs and causing them both to fall.

"Ung….", Kisame groaned, cradling his head where it had struck the stairs.

"Sorry about that, Kisame", Kakuzu said, picking up a whimpering Reni and carrying her to the door. Kisame just glared at them, before picking himself up off the ground to continue his path into the kitchen.

Kakuzu set her down when he was sure she couldn't cause any more harm, and she took a few unsteady steps before she shook her head and straightened out. She skid to a stop just before colliding with the door, and looked back at him impatiently, wanting him to hurry.

He chuckled and opened the door, watching her bolt out of the house. She immediately ran for the forest, long strides eating up the ground.

However, before she could reach the forest line, she was flung backwards, twisting though the air as she strived to get her balance before landing.

Without thinking, Kakuzu ran forward and caught her, stumbling slightly as her weight hit him. When he regained his balance, he set her down, and she immediately laid down in a typical dog-like fashion, legs tucked underneath her, and stared at the forest, whimpering longingly.

Kakuzu swore loudly, cursing Pein. Even though she had proven herself yesterday, the bastard still wouldn't take off the jutsu?!

He was distracted when Reni started tugging at her collar, attempting to take it off. Harsher than he intended to, he swatted her hand away, preventing her from removing the leather band. If she found a way to remove it, she would be killed.

She looked at him, hurt, then sprung to her feet and started running, away from him. She vanished around the corner of the house, and Kakuzu could only stare after her. How could he apologize to someone who didn't understand his language?

A few hours later, Reni and Kakuzu sat in the living room, Kakuzu sitting in an armchair and Reni curled up on the couch slightly behind him, watching the TV with interest. Sasori walked down the stairs, and paused when he heard the show playing.

"Kakuzu, why are you watching Sesame Street?"

"Konan wants her to learn how to talk. I'm only here so she doesn't break anything."

Sasori raised an eyebrow, then leaned slightly to look behind Kakuzu.

"How is she watching the TV when she's asleep?"

Kakuzu stared at him dumbly for a second, then slowly turned around to look. Sure enough, Reni was fast asleep on the couch, burrowed underneath the pillows.

He stared at her, then slowly turned back around and turned the TV off, still hearing the annoying music playing through his head.

"…..Sasori, do not tell anyone of this."

"What's in it for me?"

Kakuzu glared at him.

"You get to keep your paycheck."

Reni chose that moment to wake up, and drowsily raised her head. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the puppet-master, and she yipped happily.

"Shashurri!"

Sasori, in turn, gave her an amused smirk as she slid off the couch and stumbled, falling for a second and rising again. She walked up to him, chittering pleasantly, and he looked down at her, unsure of what to do.

"Just pet her head or something", Hidan said, coming down the stairs.

"What is she, a dog?"

"Might as well be."

Sasori just hesitantly reached down and patted her head, and Reni made and odd "chrrf" noise before turning and walking away, curling up at Kakuzu's feet.

Hidan finished his path down the stairs and flopped down on the couch, crossing his feet in front of him and placing his arms behind his head.

"Oi, Kakuzu, rumor is we're going on a short vacation today."

"And where did you hear that?" Kakuzu asked, already bored with the conversation but knowing Hidan would bitch if he didn't respond.

"Heard it from the head bitch."

Konan chose that moment to walk into the room.

"Hidan, for Reni's sake I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. However, next time you call me that, I am going to give you the most painful paper-cut you'll ever have. Understood?"

"Got it."

"Good. And yes, Kakuzu, we are going out tonight. I'm tired of just sitting here."

"I'm not-"

"And no, you don't have to spend anything, because we're going to the little lake Kisame found a few years ago. No one else knows about it, so Pein decided it would be perfect. We're leaving in a few hours, so go tell everyone."

Konan left and headed into the kitchen, presumably to pack food. Kakuzu growled.

"Why do we have to go out? I can stay here and get work done. I don't even want to know how far the paperwork for the finances has gotten behind."

Hidan stared at him.

"And you wonder why I call you Dumbass, seriously? You are the only fucker I know who would rather stay and do paperwork than go out and have fun. It's not even costing you anything!"

"I don't want to go, it's as simple as that."

Hidan stared at him for a few seconds, then a grin flitted across his face. He leaned forward, and Kakuzu could almost see the metaphorical light bulb flickering over his head.

"Well, if you don't go, Reni's going to have to stay here, because I'm not keeping an eye on her. Think of how lonely she'll be, and how bored she'll get. She might end up wanting to play in the kitchen again."

Kakuzu could imagine Reni catching the house on fire. He growled, then sighed.

"Fine, I'll go."

"Yes!" Hidan and Kisame cheered, giving each other high-fives.

"But I'm not swimming."

"I don't fucking care about that, I just wanted Reni to go, and the only way she'll go is if you go."

"Hidan?"

"What?"

"Go die."

"I wish I could, asshole."

Three hours later, the Akatsuki stood at the shores of a small lake surrounded by trees, chatting happily amongst themselves. Two people could be found with looks of distaste, and they immediately sat in the shade, one pulling out a puppet to work on and the other opening a suitcase full of papers and pulling out a pen.

Reni immediately ran into the water as soon as she saw the crystal-clear lake, and happily splashed about in the shallows, barking happily.

Konan tied a blanket between two trees, and the ones who actually wanted to be there immediately started fighting over who got to change first. Tobi somehow won (Kakuzu suspected he ran in while the others were distracted), and joined Reni shortly after, and they cheerfully splashed each other with happy abandon.

The others managed to get changed, and Kisame dived in from the end of the dock, yelping as soon as he surfaced about the water being cold. Deidara did a cannonball, and Hidan pushed Itachi in, resulting in getting chased by a giant fireball.

Kakuzu and Sasori worked on their projects, Kakuzu muttering about calculations, and Pein and Konan merely sat in the sun, relaxing, and were joined shortly after by Itachi, after he had fried Hidan.

They happily swam around, Tobi wearing his ridiculous floaties, and Reni chasing fish. However, she surprised everyone when she actually managed to catch one of them, carrying it proudly in her jaws out of the water and laying down on the banks to eat it.

Everyone else decided they might as well eat too, and Konan served out the cold chicken and potato salad, and Kakuzu grudgingly went and joined them.

"Oi, Dumbass, why don't you swim too?"

"What could possibly be so entertaining about a giant puddle of water? If I wanted to splash around, I'd go into the bathtub at home."

"He's just afraid we'll make fun of his stitches, un", Deidara said, a teasing grin on his face.

"You're right there, blondie!"

"Hidan."

"What do you want?"

"How do you like having your head attached to your body?"

"I'll shut up now."

"Good idea."

Reni quickly finished her fish, and curled up in the sun, yawning and looking out towards the water with a happy expression on her face. Kakuzu finished eating, and walked back to his paperwork, picking up his pen again and going back to his figures, his wonderfully silent figures.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kisame approach Reni, and she looked up, chittering his name. He got an evil grin, and Kakuzu sighed, knowing he would have to interfere.

Kisame bent down and picked her up, startling her, then she started struggling against his grip, snarling. However, her strength was nothing compared to his, and he managed to hold on to her.

He started walking down the dock, and Kakuzu guessed his intentions.

"Kisame, don't throw her off."

"She hasn't left the shallows all day, it's time for her to actually swim."

The rest of the Akatsuki watched with amused grins, and Kakuzu grumbled. Kisame walked closer to the end of the dock, and Reni started struggling harder, looking frightened.

"Kakuzu, Kakuzu!" she wailed, eyes wide with terror.

"Kisame, put her down!"

Kisame grinned.

"Fine by me."

He then dropped her, into the water.

She hit the surface with a splash, and she struggled wildly, flailing her arms around as she was submerged underneath the surface.

"Kisame!"

"You said to put her down!"

"You know what I meant!"

Kisame looked at the surface of the water, waiting for her to surface. He kept waiting. And waiting.

A few bubbles rose, and everyone he started looking worried. A few minutes after Reni had been tossed in, a giant bubble rose, exploding on the surface.

Terrified, Kakuzu rose swiftly, sprinting to the edge off the dock, rushing by a frozen Kisame, and dived in headfirst, trying to get as deep as possible.

He peered through the dark water, looking for any sign of Reni's hair, and saw nothing but seaweed. His lungs burned, and he surfaced for a quick breath before diving down again.

He saw her that time, and reached out quickly, swearing in his mind when his arm wasn't long enough. He extended his threads and wrapped them around her, pulling her swiftly to him.

He kicked his way to the surface, and when his head broke through, he immediately pulled hers up along with his, and started swimming to shore.

He stood up as soon as the water was shallow enough, and flopped her down on the embankment, checking for breathing.

Her chest didn't move.

Kakuzu began performing CPR, compressing her chest swiftly and evenly, trying to get her heart started again. Pausing for a second, he plugged her nose and pressed his lips to hers, forcing air into her lungs.

He gave her two, deep breaths, then started compressing her chest again, making her heart beat. He paused again to breathe for her, and she suddenly started coughing, hacking up water. Kakuzu pulled back and helped her roll over as she vomited the water she had swallowed onto the sand, tears streaming from her eyes.

Everyone crowded around, even Itachi, and started asking questions.

"Is she all right, un?!"

"Will she be okay?"

"Everyone just back the fuck off!" Hidan growled, shoving them away. He crouched next to Reni, who was gulping air like it was hard to find.

She looked around, wild-eyed, and began panicking.

She rushed to her feet and tried running away, but Kakuzu caught her and held her to him, preventing her departure. She struggled against him, but he managed to hold her until she calmed down, looking fearfully around her.

Kakuzu slowly released her, making sure she wasn't going to run away. She stayed still, and as soon as his arms were free, she forced her way into his lap, hiding her face in his stomach and crying quietly.

Kisame came up, looking scared.

"Ah shit, I'm sorry, dude. Kakuzu, I didn't think she didn't know how to swim."

Kakuzu paused a second to calm down before responding.

"Kisame, if you ever go near her again, I will castrate you with a paperclip, skin you alive with a fork, shove Sameheda up your ass, and dip you into battery acid. _Do not go near her again_."

Okay, maybe he wasn't as calm as he thought he was.

Kisame gulped and nodded, backing away. He knew Kakuzu would fully go through with his threats. He could still remember Hidan dangling from the ceiling fan after he had doubted Kakuzu his first week in Akatsuki. Pein sighed.

"Well, I guess we're done for today. Everyone, pick up. We're leaving."


	14. Chapter 14

Kakuzu watched Reni sleep, unable to do so himself. He had no idea why he could not go to sleep, but his theory was that he was still feeling the aftershocks of Reni's near-death experience.

The clock in the corner ticked its way slowly to four thirty-seven, and the window was lightened slightly. Dawn was coming, and Kakuzu had not slept a bit all night.

Finally, he gave up. He sighed and rose, listening to the bed springs creak slightly. He quietly walked across the room, opening the door softly and heading down to the kitchen, planning on getting some tea.

To his surprise, however, he saw Pein sitting in his chair, sipping at his coffee.

"Morning, sir."

Pein mumbled in response, staring blankly at the air before him. Kakuzu set the kettle to boil, getting out a tea bag and sticking it into a cup for himself. He sat across from the leader, both staring into space blankly.

Pein finally broke the silence.

"You and Hidan have a mission today. It will take you about three days to complete."

"What about Reni?"

"I'd have you leave her with Itachi, but he and Kisame are going out on a mission as well. You could always leave her with Zetsu…."

"Over my dead body", Kakuzu growled, knowing Zetsu would rather eat her than watch her.

Pein nodded.

"All right then, the only people left to watch her will be Deidara and Sasori. Is that okay with you?"

Kakuzu nodded. The teakettle started whistling, and he shut it off before the shrill noise woke up everyone else in the house. He poured his tea, and sat back at the table, sipping at the hot liquid. He was planning on how to leave for the mission, since he highly doubted Reni would just let him walk out the door. She obviously had abandonment issues, and he didn't want her to become more depressed then she already was. Finally, he was struck with a brilliant idea.

He finished his tea, putting the cup in the sink before heading upstairs. Pein watched him, pierced eyebrow raised.

"What are you planning?"

"If we leave without her noticing, it will be better for all of us. I'm going to wake up Hidan, and drop her off in Sasori's room. He should be awake, he's an early riser."

He walked upstairs, entering his room and walking over to Reni. He picked her up gently, and she murmured slightly before snuggling her face into his chest.

He paused for a second, enjoying the contact, then walked back out his door, walking to Sasori's room. He knocked quietly on the door, and an irritated looking Sasori opened it, looking up at him.

"Yes?"

"Hidan and I have a mission. Could you watch her for three days?"

Sasori looked at him briefly, then nodded.

"Just put her on my bed, I'll keep an eye on her."

He waved his hand dismissaly, turning to go back to his bench. Kakuzu walked across Deidara's messy half of the room, frowning at the clay ground into the carpet, and entered Sasori's half, which was frighteningly neat.

He set Reni down gently on the red-head's bed, and stroked her hair softly before turning and exiting the room, nodding in thanks to Sasori, who looked boredly up at him. Deidara snored, all three mouths drooling onto his bed, and Kakuzu paused briefly, disgusted.

"How do you sleep with that?"

Sasori shrugged.

"I just turn off the audio receivers in my body."

Kakuzu just shook his head before finally leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Now to wake up Hidan and leave before Reni wakes up.

He entered his room, using his threads to rip the blankets off the immortal while he started preparing for travel.

Hidan bolted up, making a sound similar to a small dog being strangled.

"What the fuck, Kakuzu?!"

"Quiet, Reni's asleep in Sasori's room. We have a mission, and I want to leave before she wakes up."

Hidan scowled at him.

"You fucking woke me up for that?"

"I could have decapitated you, would you have liked that better?"

"Fuck you."

"I'd rather not."

Hidan frowned, but slowly rose, grumbling while he got dressed, which, with him, was equivalent to pulling a pair of pants on over his boxers and slipping into his sandals. He slipped his cloak on and tied his scythe to his back, turning to Kakuzu.

"Are you ready?"

Kakuzu growled.

"I still have to pack. Go grab some freeze-dried food from downstairs, enough for three days."

"I hate that fucking shit!"

"You could go hungry."

Hidan glared at him.

"I hate you."

"I know. Now get going."

Hidan stomped out of the room, walking heavily down the stairs. Kakuzu sighed, but continued grabbing supplies and stuffing them into a pack, until all he had left to put in was the food.

Hidan walked in at that moment, carrying a few packages.

"I tried to grab the better tasting shit, but you're still eating the fucking spaghetti."

"Whatever, just bring it over."

He stuffed it into a pack, slinging it over his shoulder and grabbing his briefcase and heading out of his room. Hidan followed, yawning, and stumbled down the steps after his partner.

Pein was still in the kitchen, and he silently handed them the scroll containing the details of their mission. Kakuzu accepted it and exited the house, looking towards Sasori's room one last time before starting to run to their destination.

The girl stretched, feeling herself on a soft surface again and chittering to the giant, eyes still closed. Suddenly, the smells assaulted her nose, but they were the wrong smells, like earth and wood and some sharp chemical smell.

Her eyes flashed open, and she looked at her unfamiliar surroundings, panicking. Where was she? And where was the giant?

She bolted to her feet, leaping off the bed and towards a corner before whirling around to study her surroundings, growling in fear.

The red-head sat at a table, and he looked at her, frowning slightly. He got up and approached her, and she snarled a warning, hunching her shoulders.

His frown deepened, and he said something sharply before walking towards her again, hand outstretched.

Her growl got louder and louder as he approached, and when he got too close to bear, she leaped up and bit his throat, feeling her teeth bite through wood instead of flesh.

Knowing her plan of attack had failed, she leaped off him and ran to the door, throwing herself against it in an attempt to get it to open.

The blond one rose at the noise, and looked around sleepily before saying her name in soothing tones, trying to get her to calm down. However, when he got too close, she bit his hand, oddly feeling teeth meet teeth, and a foreign tongue lashed around in pain.

The blond screamed and yanked his hand back, and the blue-haired woman slammed open the door, smelling worried.

The girl took advantage of this and bolted out of the room, heading for the giant's dwelling.

However, when she got there, the door was tightly closed, and there were no sounds of anyone inside.

The girl could feel her heart break into tiny pieces at the knowledge that the giant had abandoned her. She whimpered, and the three came around the corner to see her sniffing at the bottom of the door.

The woman opened the door for her, and she looked in only long enough to make sure her assumption had been correct. It was.

She walked into the room, sniffing for any sign of the giant, but any traces there were hours old.

She whimpered again, then lifted her head and howled sadly, feeling the three watch her. The blond came forward with comforting tones, and something in the girl snapped. It was their fault the giant was gone! Their fault!

Slowly, she turned and started snarling menacingly, eyes full of hatred. She stalked slowly forward, keeping her gaze locked with the blond's, seeing him back away fearfully.

He raised his arms in defense the moment she leaped forward, teeth latching onto his arm and crushing down, shattering it. He screamed, and she released to jump over him, landing on the red-head and knocking him to the floor with a clatter.

She ran out of the room, angry at them all. Not bothering to run down the stairs, she instead leaped onto the railing, balancing for a moment before jumping down, landing on the pierced man.

He gave a shout of surprise as she bit into the side of his neck, before he reached around his arm and yanked her off of him, tearing a chunk of flesh out in the process.

She landed on her feet, and leaped to the side to dodge a knife thrown at her.

The woman ran in, screaming something to the pierced man, and the girl snarled and leaped forward, tackling her to the ground and burying her teeth in her stomach, tearing through the muscle and feeling her teeth carve through the intestines.

Something heavy hit the girl's side, knocking her off, and she raised her bloody face to look at the attacker, the strange plant-thing. The object he had thrown was next to her, and it looked like one of the small tables.

She bared her teeth menacingly, crouching and slowly creeping forward, gray eyes locked with his golden ones.

He bared his own sharp teeth at her, meeting her challenge. Teeth bared, she started circling around, looking for an opening to attack, unfamiliar with the plant-thing's strength.

He calmly watched her, and she could feel the gazes of the others in the room, but she ignored them in favor of watching the greater threat, who was still observing her with a detached calmness that unnerved her, making her feel suspicious. This creature knew something, and it worried her.

He moved, and she focused sharply on him again, snarling slightly. His hand moved toward his leg, and she watched cautiously, knowing that the others liked to keep weapons attached to their legs.

He swiftly withdrew a knife and threw it at her, and she couldn't move fast enough to keep it from pinning her hand to the wooden floor.

She snarled at the metal object, trying to work it free as he came closer. Finally realizing it wouldn't come out, she gritted her teeth and yanked her hand free, feeling the sharp edge tear through her skin, separating her third and fourth fingers on her right hand even farther.

She leaped up and tackled him to the ground, where they began fighting to the death, snarling and snapping at each other.

She felt his sharp teeth bury themselves in her leg, while she in turn bit his ribs, feeling her fangs skate over the bones, leaving permanent grooves. He bashed her skull into the floor, leaving her dazed for a brief second, and took advantage of the moment by biting her shoulder, slowly crushing the joint.

She screeched in pain, struggling wildly to get free, feeling the bones slowly crack under the pressure of his jaws. This was a creature like her, knowing the ways of the wild and having the strength to live in it.

She felt a familiar pressure in the back of her mind, the same she had felt when the giant had gotten stabbed, and released it with a snarl, feeling the black, non-touchable tendrils form around her, lashing at her attacker.

He screeched at the sudden pain, releasing her and lunging back as the whips flickered away, having done their job of protecting her.

She staggered as the sudden weakness hit her, and the plant-thing grabbed her with one hand, lifting her up above the ground and throwing her into the kitchen, where she collided with the new oven, shattering the glass and denting the metal.

She fell limply to the ground, head feeling miles away. She turned her gaze slowly to the creature, but she couldn't find a way to react, couldn't think clearly. She knew he was a threat, but she couldn't remember why.

The creature walked slowly toward her, eyes turning red in her daze. His fangs grew longer, and he snarled at her. She felt her world fade to black, and as her vision dimmed, she felt a strange surge of power passing through her and traveling on. It hadn't originated from her, but from another somewhere else.

As her head touched the ground, and her vision faded away, she heard a familiar voice whispering in her ear. She frowned and concentrated on it, focusing on her mother's voice. She listened to the words, and felt strength flow through her.

Her vision snapped back suddenly, disorienting her for a second, and she came back to her senses just as the creature bent over her.

She snapped up, teeth locking onto his throat, and he made a gurgling noise as he pulled away. She released her teeth, and leaped away, staggering slightly as she landed, her back to the door.

Everyone gazed at her, some fearfully, some angry, and the creature with respect.

A sudden noise came from behind her, and a hand settled itself on her shoulder.

Without thinking, she whirled around and slashed at the hand with out thought.

When the scent of the hand filled her nostrils, she pulled away in disgust, a look of horror upon her face. The giant appeared equally shocked, and held himself still, frozen. The smaller man looked surprised as well, hand frozen on the doorknob.

The girl hung her head in shame, before bolting past them and running.

Kakuzu stared in shock as Reni buried her teeth in his hand, and saw horror flit across her face as she realized who she had attacked. She removed her teeth, hung her head and bolted through their legs, heading outside.

Kakuzu had gotten Pein's return signal and had run back as fast as he could. But when he opened the door, he didn't even think the trouble would be Reni. But the kitchen was now in ruin, the oven smashed and blood smeared over the floor. The living room was equally damaged, a kunai sticking out of the floor with a large puddle of blood surrounding it.

However, Kakuzu was not thinking about the cost of repairing the rooms, but instead of how he could get Reni to trust him again. The look of self disgust on her face, she would never forgive herself.

Finally, he felt the need to speak.

"What happened?" he managed to croak out, voice hoarse.

Sasori looked at him.

"She woke up, and when she realized you were gone, she snapped. She attacked everyone."

Kakuzu closed his eyes.

"What's the damage?"

"Deidara had his hand shredded and his arm broke. I can repair my own body, but she tore a good-sized chunk out of my neck. Pein had a bite taken out of his own neck. Konan had her stomach slashed open, and is in critical condition in the medical wing, and I'm not sure what injuries Zetsu has."

"She scraped our ribs and bit our throat.** But we will be fine**."

Kakuzu took a breath to steady himself.

"I'll start working on Konan, and give Reni a chance to calm down."

He headed toward the medical wing, and Hidan rushed after him.

"Oi, are you just going to fucking leave her out there? She needs you! Who knows what she's feeling right now!"

"Hidan, I just….. I just need to be away from her for a while, okay?"

Hidan stared at him, then shook his head.

"Whatever, just make sure you're going to check on her later."

He turned and walked away, leaving Kakuzu to himself.

Hours later, Konan in stable condition, Kakuzu walked out the door, peering into the afternoon light, shielding his eyes from the glare. Where would Reni hide, feeling like she did?

He sighed and stepped down from the porch, kneeling down to peer under it. There Reni sat, shivering and sniffling as the cold soaked through her wounds and chilled her severely, body going into shock as she slowly bled to death.

He stared, disgusted with himself. While he had been trying to make sense of what had happened, she had slowly started dying, wounds worse than what he had originally thought.

He tried whimpering quietly, seeing if he could get her to come out. He wouldn't be able to fit under there to get her.

She twitched, but just huddled even tighter, shivering deeply. He sighed and tried crawling in, but his bulk wouldn't fit in the tight space.

Stuck, he tried whimpering louder, a pleading note crawling into his voice and startling him. When had he learned to do that?

Reni looked toward him, equally surprised, and slowly unfurled herself, 'chrrf'ing slightly. He made the same whining noise, and she slowly crept towards him, keeping her head low and submissive.

He managed to coax her into the sunlight, where he carefully picked her up, hearing her whimpers of pain. He held her gently and carried her into the house, where pretty much everyone was wearing a bandage of some sort, except for Tobi, who had been oddly absent.

He carried her through the living room, and everyone gave her dirty looks, except for Zetsu, who actually smiled at her. Ignoring their looks, he carried her up to his room, setting her down on his bed, not caring if he got blood on the blankets or not.

He gently stripped her clothing off, assessing her wounds. She had a bite on her shoulder, her hand had almost been sliced in half, another bite was on her leg, and she was covered in many other cuts and bruises.

He used his chakra to mend her shoulder, feeling the bones realign under his touch, and used his thread to stitch shut her wound, cleaning it after. He attended to her other wounds, closing and cleaning them all.

When her wounds had been attended to, he gently picked her up, trying to avoid her many bruises, and brought her into the bathroom, setting her down into the tub and running some warm water, filling the basin.

She didn't move as the water slowly covered her body, just stared blankly as Kakuzu began gently washing the blood off her body, moving when he showed what he wanted her to do.

The water slowly turned pink from the blood he scrubbed off her, and he drained the tub and filled it again with clean water, adding a crystallized medicine good for bruises.

She hissed slightly as the medicine took effect, stinging the pools of blood collected under the skin. However, she stopped, and Kakuzu took it as a sign the medicine had finished.

He drained the tub and picked her up again, drying her off with a towel before grabbing some of his smaller clothes, knowing they would be too large but not having anything else.

He fit them on her and used his threads to alter them, but even so, her shirt was more like a dress.

Finished, he picked her up again and carried her to his bed, realizing she had fallen asleep. He removed the bloody blankets and put fresh ones on, covering her and allowing her to sleep comfortably.

Seeing there was nothing more he could do, he turned to head downstairs. However, he stopped when he head her voice.

"….Kakuzu….."

He turned and looked, seeing her eyes half open and watching him. She made a few noises, but looked frustrated as she realized he wouldn't be able to understand him.

She instead sighed and turned her head away, curling up tightly. The shaking blankets betrayed her crying, and he paused, uncertain of what to do.

Finally, he just sighed and walked to the bed, crawling in beside her and holding her close, comforting her in the only language they could both understand.

**A/N: Oh no, the emoness! The first thing I have to talk about is the number of hits I've gotten for this story. Over 1,000?! Are you guys serious?! I didn't think this story was that popular with you guys! Thanks for reading this!**

**The next thing I'd like to say is that the next chapter will be the last. The story has to end, and now that I have the mood set up for the last chapter, now's the time. Prepare for some depressing moments.**

**Thank you guys again for reading this, this is my favorite project so far. Maybe if I get enough reviews, I'll write a sequel. *hint-hint* Anyways, thanks again! You guys are awesome!**


	15. Chapter 15

Kakuzu sat at the desk, fingers idly rubbing along the edge of one of the coins he had been counting, eyes focused on the pictures he had printed from the camera so long ago. He smiled at the first picture, the one where Reni had been looking up at the object with bright, curious eyes, in the process of tearing a bite from the rabbit she had caught for herself. He brown hair spilled over her shoulders, and her clever hands held the rabbit securely.

He looked at the next picture, the one where she had been snarling at Hidan, scared of the object but threatening him anyways. Her chapped lips had been pulled back from her sharp teeth, eyes filled with a hatred at the object that had startled her. She was so full of life then.

His smile dropped as he recalled the girl now outside, the one who refused to eat, who wouldn't even move in her depression. That one night where he had comforted her had changed something in her mind, and now she was inconsolable, miserable in her imprisonment. She craved the forest, and with the forest, freedom. But as long as the collar remained on her neck, she would be unable to leave. And the only way to remove the collar without killing her is if he removed it. If she tried, it would release a flash of concentrated chakra into her spinal cord, destroying her brain and killing her in a spark of pain.

He sighed, looking out the window to the girl curled up as near as she could get to the forest, shivering against the oncoming cold of the night. He watched her with sorrowful eyes, and finally rose. He knew what had to be done, for her.

Hidan sat in the tree, bathed in silver moonlight as he watched Reni sleep curled up against the barrier. For weeks, she had refused to come inside, no matter what they did to coax her. She had been depressed, and even Hidan getting hurt failed to bring a reaction to her. Zetsu, surprisingly, had been one of the few people to get her to eat, but as he had been gone for a while, she hadn't eaten in four days.

He sighed, fingers playing with his rosary, watching the moonlight glint off it. After the day she had snapped and attacked everyone, she hadn't looked anyone in the eye, not even Kakuzu. And while Kakuzu had been able to get her to move in the past, she was becoming more and more unresponsive, unwilling to leave the barrier near the forest.

Hidan knew exactly what Reni wanted, though he also knew she would never get it. She was homesick, that was the only word to express what she was feeling. She obviously missed the forest, and hunting. She howled at night, and would pause to listen, as if expecting a response. Itachi had tried comforting her even, but she had only shrugged away his touch, looking mournfully into the woods she was used to living in.

The immortal looked up, viewing the moon through the tree branches. It had been full a few days ago, and was now waning down to its last quarter phase. He sighed again, thinking back to the days when she had been happy.

He lips twitched into a smile when he recalled the day she had pushed him down a cliff, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed a scar left over from that experience. She had been so full of life that day, and he grinned at the memory of her killing the ANBU so easily.

His gaze flicked downwards, and his smile dropped as he saw the five claw-marks running across the width of her back, a token from the day she had saved him from the bear and sent it scurrying. He was in her debt, and he had no way to repay it. She hadn't only saved him from harm, she had taught him to live freely, whether she knew it or not.

The sound of a door opening startled him, and he turned his head to look, wondering who would be coming out in the middle of the night.

To his immense surprise, he saw Kakuzu standing on the porch, silently shutting the door. The stitched man walked across the yard, sitting next to Reni on the ground, ignoring the dew that soaked his clothes almost immediately after.

Reni looked up, acknowledging him, then set her head on his lap, closing her eyes in contentment as he rubbed his thick fingers across her neck, massaging it tenderly. From where he was sitting, Hidan could hear the purr escape from her throat. Even as depressed as she was, she still enjoyed that small form of comfort.

He watched Kakuzu look up at the moon, and while he could hear the thick, rumbling voice speak, he was not close enough to understand the words. Reni looked up at him, whining softly in confusion.

Kakuzu then stood, and did something Hidan would have never expected him to do.

Kakuzu looked up at the moon, and Reni followed his gaze, a soft sigh escaping her mouth. He smiled softly.

"Remember the night we fell asleep on the cliff, when we hadn't moved into the shelter? It was a moon like this. You were curled up on my chest, and Hidan was using you as a blanket, the little fucker. I couldn't believe why you had chosen to use me as a pillow. Me, the monster. But now I see. You're covered in scars too, so why should someone else's bother you? You only cared about what was underneath this hideous skin, and you didn't see a monster. You only saw me, a pathetic human who needed help after getting attacked by a bear.

I still don't know why you helped me. You were having enough trouble feeding yourself, and you took me in. I don't think I'll ever know the reason, nor do I think I want to. You're a mystery, Reni, and I don't think anyone could solve you. But you know what? That's fine by me. You're you, and nothing will ever change that. You will always be the silly girl who hunts for food, who can build a shelter as steady as a rock in only a few minutes. You are always going to be the one that brought a smile to our faces, with all your crazy antics."

A soft, tender look flicked across his face.

"You will always be the one who rescued me."

They sat in silence, and Reni looked closely at his face, not understanding his words but knowing the emotion behind them. He stared into oblivion, mentally preparing himself for the next thing he must do.

"And now I shall be the one that will rescue you."

He stood, fingers traveling to the thin band of black leather around her neck, the only thing holding her prisoner here.

He paused, as if rethinking his decision, then firmly, flipped one side of the band up, removing the hook from the strap and pulling it off, leaving her neck bare.

Reni's hands flew up in wonder, rubbing the surface of her neck and not hearing the silly bell jingling. She blinked in shock, then looked up at him, whimpering uncertainly.

He smiled and nodded, unknowingly whining, communicating in her way that she may leave.

She looked up at him, then looked to the forest beckoning to her so warmly. She looked back again, and Kakuzu could see the look of hope on her face.

He bit back the urge to put the collar back around her neck, and kneeled down one last time to hold her, hand reaching around and untying the braid he had put in her hair.

It fell loosely around her shoulders, and he released her, standing up and nudging her towards the forest.

She happily ran into it, but paused one last time, looking back one last time before vanishing into its depths.

Her gray eyes met his green and red ones, and an unspoken thanks flickered through them.

Reni smiled, then vanished into the forest, leaving Kakuzu standing there alone with the collar held loosely in his grasp.

Hidan watched as Kakuzu undid the collar around Reni's neck, feeling a surge of alarm. What was doing?!

He watched his partner kneel down and hug Reni, untying the braid. Her soft hair fell around her shoulders, and she looked up at him, looking uncertain. He could see Kakuzu nodding, and Reni turned and ran into the forest, leaving him.

However, before she vanished entirely, she paused and looked back, locking her eyes with Kakuzu's. something Hidan could not understand passed between the two, and Reni smiled one last time before leaving them forever.

He watched Kakuzu carefully, not knowing what his partner's reaction would be. However, Kakuzu only turned around and entered the house, shutting the door behind him.

Hidan sighed, then looked back up at the moon. His fingers ran along the edge of his pendent, and he smiled at the thought of Reni running freely through the forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Two years later…~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kakuzu coughed one last time as the brat's rasengan tore through him, destroying his final hearts in one shot. He already knew Hidan was finished, and a fleeting thought of the irony of the situation passed through him. Here they were, the two immortals, and they were destroyed by a bunch of chunin. How pathetic.

Kakuzu turned his head to the side with the last of his strength, dimly hearing the others talking amongst themselves, not showing even the least bit of care for the one that lay dying at their feet.

As his last breath escaped his lungs, he closed his eyes, thinking of the girl who had saved him from a bear so long ago.

As the thoughts of Reni filled his mind, he smiled slightly as his life slipped away. He knew he was going to hell, but as long as he had his memories of Reni, he would be happy. And as he died, he could finally admit to himself that he had loved her.

Hidan lay in pieces in the hole, cursing the brat who had done this to him. However, his lack of lungs, he thought they were somewhere to his right, hampered him, and he had to stop.

He stared into the infinite darkness, feeling scared for perhaps the first time in his life. Kakuzu wasn't coming. He knew that. He would be buried in this hole for the rest of eternity, or at least until Jashin took away his immortality. Then he would go to hell, and maybe see Kakuzu again.

A fleeting thought of Reni passed across his mind, and he smiled at the memory of her growling at him when he wouldn't shut up. He was glad she had been let free, though the both of them had been punished severely for that. Now that she was free, she wouldn't have to see them in the sad situation they were in.

As he closed his eyes, preparing for an eternal sleep, he thought of the strange girl, the one who lived wild and free.

The moon rose, slow and magnificent in the sky. A pair of gray eyes stopped to admire it for a second, seeing its immense size and feeling small in comparison to its eternally beautiful face.

The owner of the eyes lowered her head, feeling restless. She had been feeling like this since late that afternoon, and the pack she now lived with could not explain it.

A gray wolf came up to her, and she lowered her head to touch noses with it, stretching her short neck out to reach. Her fingers grasped at the rock beneath her for balance, and her long legs rippled as she balanced.

The wolf walked away, and the girl again looked up at the moon, feeling that strange feeling again. She knew she had to do something, but what….?

The pack started moving again, away from what was causing her to feel that way. She paused, looking back over her shoulder, and pranced in place nervously, feeling like they were going the wrong way.

The alpha came up to her, and she obediently lowered her head, submitting. He sniffed her worry, and looked in the direction she had been a few moments ago. The red wolf sniffed in thought, then turned the pack around and began moving in the direction the feeling was coming from, entertaining her wishes.

She thanked him with a yelp, then took the lead, loping as she led them. The pack kept up easily, as her awkward legs were no match for the grace of the wolves.

They crested a hill, seeing the forest of dead trees before them. A few wolves whimpered uneasily as the scent of humans came on the breeze, but the smell was hours old. There was also the smell of death hanging on the wind.

The girl started down, leaving the pack no choice but to follow her.

She led the way with a strange determidness though the trees, heading to a spot that called her.

She froze as the fresh smell of human came toward her, and she approached quietly, watching the human as he watched the dead bodies below, not knowing of her existence as she crouched less than five feet from him.

She looked down, wondering why he was watching dead bodies, and froze as she saw the body of the giant. It couldn't be….

Yet as he didn't move, she knew the truth.

She could feel the anger rising through her, like fire burning through her veins, and the pack backed off uneasily as the new smell came into the air. Anger was not good for them.

The girl leaped forward with a loud screech, terrifying the human as he tried leaping away.

Her practiced hands grabbed his shoulders, and she pulled herself onto his back, head snapping around to kill the man, feeling the same power she had become familiar with over the past two years.

She stood, coldly observing the man as he bled out beneath her, heart struggling to beat on. Her gaze continued to the giant, and a wave of sorrow passed through her.

She slumped to the ground, feeling despair come over her. He was dead. He had freed her, and he was dead.

Her head fell, accidentally landing on the person she had attacked. To her surprise, she felt his heart still struggling to beat.

Her head rose thoughtfully, and she looked at the giant before looking at the body again. When she had first found the giant, he had had three heart-beats. Maybe…..

With a savage wrench, she plunged her hand into the victim's chest, spreading the ribs with a loud snap. With her hands holding the ribs apart, she had no choice but to use her teeth to rip out the still-beating heart, holding it triumphantly in her jaws.

She quickly ran down the slope, still holding it in her jaws. The moonlight caused the blood running down her body to turn black as ink, and this strange ink dripped onto the man's face as she dropped the heart on his chest, willing for the threads to move.

She watched for a few minutes, and she was starting to feel disappointed before they twitched slightly, drawing her attention. They wiggled along the surface of his body, searching out the quickly-cooling organ.

The girl shoved it closer, and made sure the threads had it securely before lowering her head to the ground, sniffing out the smaller man's trail.

She discovered it quickly, and gave one last look at the giant before sprinting after the scent, dodging trees glowing silver in the moonlight.

She passed a few deer, but they quickly bound away at the scent of wilderness on her. She was no human to them.

She found the area of torn-up dirt swiftly, and she walked over it a few times, to verify this was the source of the smaller man's scent. She knew she could only use this once, and wanted to make it count.

She took a deep breath, searching her mind for the little barrier that separated her from unimaginable power.

She found it and broke through it, feeling the tendrils lash around her, searching for any threat to her.

She focused her glowing eyes on the ground before her, silently commanding the tendrils to begin digging.

They followed her orders, however unwillingly, and soon they were bringing up pieces of the smaller man. His head snapped open his eyes, staring in shock at the girl before him. He said her name once in disbelief, and she smiled briefly before focusing the last of her energy on connecting the body parts.

The tendrils wrapped around each severed body part, connecting them in whatever way they could. After a few minutes, he was whole again, and she set him down gently before relinquishing command of the threads, dropping in weakness.

He staggered uncertainly, then ran toward her, saying something in a worried tone as he picked her up. She smiled briefly at him, then signaled her arm the direction she had come from, trying to tell him to go back to the giant.

He seemed to understand her, and the ground started flying by as he ran, holding her securely.

They reached the clearing quickly enough, and the girl found she had enough strength to stand. The smaller man set her down gently, and she staggered over to the giant, watching the threads finally take the organ into the body.

A few moments passed, and then the heart started beating.

It took a many minutes, but the giant opened his eyes, looking around confused. Another hour passed before he was able to sit up, and he started asking the smaller man some questions. However, he stopped as his eyes landed on the girl.

Kakuzu stared at the girl before him, not believing it. How was she here? And how had she saved them both?

Reni lowered her head and approached him, whimpering. His arms reached out on their own accord, and he swiftly grabbed her, bringing her close as he buried hid face in her hair. The moonlight reflecting off it turned it to a shimmering gold, and he couldn't close his eyes at the beautiful sight.

Finally, she pulled away, looking apologetic. She started walking away, and he called out.

"Wait!"

She stopped and looked at him, then looked sadly up the hill.

His eyes followed hers, and he gaped at the sight of the wolf pack standing at the top of the hill, eyes glowing as they watched them.

Reni smiled, and climbed swiftly up the hill, joining the ranks of the pack, which swarmed protectively around her as soon as she joined them.

They started walking away, Reni following, and she paused one last time to look back. A smile appeared on her face, and she dipped her head. He did the same in return, and she grinned at his failed attempt.

One of the wolves yipped, one that appeared copper in the silver light, and she lowered her head in response. She turned away, and vanished for the last time.

And she was gone.

**A/N: Oh my god, finally finished! This is the last chapter, and while it's shorter than the others, I love it. I have been planning it since the beginning of the series, and I'm proud of how it turned out. Thank you guys for reading this, thank you!**

**I will have a few deleted scenes in a little while, and all they are are things I wanted to put in, but didn't think they'd fit. Even so, I hope you'll like them!**

**And yes, there will be a sequel. Be on the lookout for Hidden, coming whenever I can type it!**


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